No arms, no cookies…!!!

It’s always hard to find good cleaning staff

The picture on the right was even taken at the Rehacare fair in Düsseldorf…!!!

Click below on tag “Crazy Flash”, to see other crazy stuff.

Translator BL

5 months ago, I have already posted about a “disabling”, new disabled toilet in a hospital (see older blogpost).

At that time, I criticised among other things that nobody had unwound the emergency cord.

It is rather bad when you are lying on the floor after a wheelchair-floor-transfer while trying to transfer from wheelchair to toilet and then your are not able to reach the alarm.

In case of emergency you can’t open the door from the inside either because wisely the door lock is mounted at 1,50 m. Probably designer model “Dirk Nowitzki”.

I am not so experienced about industry standards in the area of accessible building, but I would be surprised if such a high installation height of a door lock is allowed. Whereas… the thought is not so far off…!!!

Even wheelchair test person “Detective” had difficulties with the door lock!

I had pointed out the “trifle” with the emergency cord already several times, but it had not been unwound within 4 months anyway. I couldn’t reach the knot up there, otherwise I would have done it myself.

When I complained at a therapist – let’s call her “Work-out” – on 22.04.2013 again about the emergency cord with the Gordian knot she immediately took care of the problem and unknotted the cord. Thanks again from this side.

The appearance of the tetra pot belly had to be alienated out of proprietary reasons.

As you can see on the next picture, there are other disabled toilets in this hospital with door locks in Hobbit height.

Actually it’s my own fault… I am too small… If I really make an effort I might still grow a bit and can then reach the 1,50 m door lock…!!

Translator BL

Sad, sad, sad…!!!

When I saw this new disabled toilet in a hospital I started thinking a little and got my camera first of all.

This toilet is disabling!!!

I consider the equipment and construction, described in friendly words, as unfortunate solution and declare this disabled toilet to be the patient.

It all starts that hardly any wheelchair user can lock the sliding door from the inside because the lock is mounted quite high. This is also possible in a different way, see older blogpost.

The transfer from wheelchair to toilet would be quite painful if not dangerous because no second handle is mounted next to the toilet. I don’t know the official regulation, but I consider two handles in a hospital disabled toilet as a matter of course.

The toilet paper holder is currently out of work. The paper roll was probably thrown into the toilet or taken away for handicrafts by the last guest because not even a dustbin is at hand.

Considering the distance to the wall, the fishing for toilet is paper is a bit tricky anyway…!!!

Maybe with some physiotherapy the new toilet paper roll under the toilet might be reachable without involuntary floor transfer.

I don’t know if the fact of

anticipated grossly negligent non-assistance

exists, but this is the case here.

A not unwound emergency cord is not acceptable for me. I would have unwound it, but I definitely can’t do it with my motor functions…!!!

It is also possible in a different way. In the pool shower in the wheelchair hotel Mar y Sol in Tenerife (see older blogposts) several emergency buttons are ideally mounted on ground level.

My friend said, when I am not able to lock the door anyway it is not necessary either to reach the emergency cord when I am lying on the floor.

I would just need to crawl to the door and wait for the next patient.

Translator BL

One of the main issues for us wheelers is the question, where is the next disabled toilet.

As pedestrian it is hardly imaginable that trips into the wild have to be planned from loo to loo.

For many wheelers the question of the next toilet is rather the biggest handicap, and many don’t dare to leave home for this reason!!!

Ingenious…!!! Finally it is available, the

Worldwide Google Disabled Toilet Finder App

www.wheelMate.com

Source photo: www.wheelmate.com

There you can display worldwide with Google the nearest disabled toilet on the street map.

I know my hometown Frankfurt very well, but I would never have thought that there are so many disabled toilets in the city center.

This is awesome… Post, post, post…

Because this app or website is interactive as well you can also comment on the disabled toilets, if e.g. there is a narrow door, or add not known disabled toilets.

The option to display disabled parking places exists, but there have to be added some 1000 existing parking places.

I am asking all readers to make this website known:

Post the Link on Facebook, other social media,… or wherever:

http://www.wheelmate.com

or my blogpost:

http://www.eigude.de/blog/?p=14426

Thanks in advance!!

I have found a similar website from a manufacturer of Australian public designer toilets for Australia and New Zealand:
www.exeloo.com

Translator BL

The bungalow complex Nautilus in Lanzarote

is extraordinary. I haven’t seen anything like this before. You are living there a bit like in the Frankfurtian Museum of Modern Art, I will write a particular blog about it some time.

It begins with the fact that the trails for wheelers are bare of potholes and painted in stylish swimming pool blue. The only ramp which is a bit steeper was lately defused to a

Spanish 6 Degrees – Ramp

Additionally there are rest areas set up for „tired warriors“.

The classic mediterranian flair with down falling plaster, clamping doors, blank cables, wiggly door handles, busted sockets and washbasins you miss immediately (not really).

Also the 500 g of hair in the sink will hardly be found. Thus the holiday feeling slowly starts.

44 bungalows are set up wheelchair accessible, and it is to mention that the grab handles next to the toilet are better fixed than on some stands of a rehab fair. The type of the

Raised Toilet Seat

is designed very individually and is even new to me, but it seems to be functional. Even a

Makeup Mirror

was kept in mind, which is optimally suitable for a wheeler to shave himself. Curiously it is the same type I introduced in my blog on June, 10th 2010. Seems that somebody has read my article. (see older blog post).

In newer bungalows some floor cupboards in the kitchen were saved maybe because of a lack of money. This results in the negative effect, that you as wheelchair driving man can reach the stove and will therefore sometimes be compelled to kitchen duty during the holidays by your partner.

The approximately 32 inch flatscreen TV is secured by an alarm system and definitely too big for the hand luggage on the return flight.

In this complex anything time-tested is different. In front of every bungalow you will find two sunbeds on a little terrace, and you will find plenty of them around the pool. So you are cheated out of the sporting competition on holiday to place your black-red-gold coloured towel on a sunbed at 03:30 o’clock in the early morning before any English could do so, just to claim your territory.

For us four-wheelers there is a

Poollifter, operated by water pressure

available which firstly reminds of a bottling plant of a brewery, but with a little practice the usage is fine.

To be continued!

Translator Teo

The bungalow complex Nautilus in Lanzarote

is extraordinary. I haven’t seen anything like this before. You are living there a bit like in the Frankfurtian Museum of Modern Art, I will write a particular blog about it some time.

It begins with the fact that the trails for wheelers are bare of potholes and painted in stylish swimming pool blue. The only ramp which is a bit steeper was lately defused to a

Spanish 6 Degrees – Ramp

Additionally there are rest areas set up for „tired warriors“.

The classic mediterranian flair with down falling plaster, clamping doors, blank cables, wiggly door handles, busted sockets and washbasins you miss immediately (not really).

Also the 500 g of hair in the sink will hardly be found. Thus the holiday feeling slowly starts.

44 bungalows are set up wheelchair accessible, and it is to mention that the grab handles next to the toilet are better fixed than on some stands of a rehab fair. The type of the

Raised Toilet Seat

is designed very individually and is even new to me, but it seems to be functional. Even a

Makeup Mirror

was kept in mind, which is optimally suitable for a wheeler to shave himself. Curiously it is the same type I introduced in my blog on June, 10th 2010. Seems that somebody has read my article. (see older blog post).

In newer bungalows some floor cupboards in the kitchen were saved maybe because of a lack of money. This results in the negative effect, that you as wheelchair driving man can reach the stove and will therefore sometimes be compelled to kitchen duty during the holidays by your partner.

The approximately 32 inch flatscreen TV is secured by an alarm system and definitely too big for the hand luggage on the return flight.

In this complex anything time-tested is different. In front of every bungalow you will find two sunbeds on a little terrace, and you will find plenty of them around the pool. So you are cheated out of the sporting competition on holiday to place your black-red-gold coloured towel on a sunbed at 03:30 o’clock in the early morning before any English could do so, just to claim your territory.

For us four-wheelers there is a

Poollifter, operated by water pressure

available which firstly reminds of a bottling plant of a brewery, but with a little practice the usage is fine.

To be continued!

Translator Teo

You should take your time with the selection of the adapted washing basin.

In my opinion, a height adjustable luxury basin is not necessary if the wheelchair user is not a child.

Basically you should be able to agree with your partner on the mounting height, as long as the partner is not Dirk Nowitzki!

The wheelchair has to fit even with passenger underneath the washing basin.

Better remind your plumber!

Stupidly most of the washing basins are not large enough so that you are standing with the feet against the wall, and you still have to bend forward over the very expensive special washing basin.
Great!!

I consider it as advantage if the washing basin has little “wings” on the right and left side, so that the storage space is substantially larger and better to reach.

Lots of bits and pieces fit in here.

A downward foldable wall mirror is not needed by anybody.
(see older blogpost).

The mounting height of the disabled toilet is according to my information at approx. 40 cm. This really has a reasonable cause.

Above 40 cm it is not possible to drive with a shower commode chair without reconstruction over the toilet. I would like to meet the plumber who knows that.

Even in designated wheelchair hotels the toilet height can be different in each room. Everybody does what he wants.

What is interesting is that some health insurances cover either the costs for a shower commode chair, or for holding bars next to the toilet.
Thus relatively fit wheelers use the shower chair for the shower and are then obliged to use it for the daily “sitting” even though they could swing onto the toilet lid if they had the money for holding bars. The bars are shockingly expensive, I have some low priced producers in my data base.

If you need a rubber ring for the toilet seat, of course you have free choice for the mounting height.

By coincidence I got two holding bars out of stainless steel for 21 € in Ebay. The value of the material is already significantly higher. The bars don’t only look good, they are also doing well as towel rail.

An acquaintance of mine doesn’t care at all.
He is taking a shower with his “normal” wheelchair. His cushion never gets wet. He probably has one, but doesn’t sit on it even during the day.

To be continued.

Click on tag “Bath Reconstruction” to read the other blogposts of the series.

Translator BL

As already reported, plumbers were not particularly interested to competently reconstruct my accessible bathroom for realistic prices.

In the end I found a company in which the son of the boss is sitting in a wheelchair as well so they knew what a fresh wheelchair driver needs in his bathroom.

I am regularly on rehabilitation fairs and know quite some technical aids for the bathroom, but my ergonomically formed

Designer toilet lid

is quite special and actually belongs into the museum of modern art.

The company Hewi builds undoubtedly high quality bathroom equipment.

A price of 46 € for a bath tub handhold is quite heavy while it is in the meantime even mounted to my balcony wall as fly-net holder.

A price of 441,00 € excl. VAT for a

shower holder with hand rail,

for which you need a mounting kit of 25 € I consider a little bit exaggerated because it is not even working automatically. I just mean the white bar!

With my 1,38 m size in the wheelchair I can use the 2 m high shower holder now as gym bar.

To be continued!

Click on tag “Bath Reconstruction” to read the other blogposts of the series.

Translator BL