Brenda Ryan, an advocate for people with disabilities, says all washroom signs at Masonville Place should already have braille on them, to accommodate the visually impaired.
“They also have to have tactile signs, [where] people with low vision to touch them,” she says, “Only a very, very small percentage of the visually impaired actually read braille.”
She adds proper placement is important. “It has to be high enough where they can see it from a distance, if they have some vision, and low enough that they’ll be able to touch it with their hands,” Ryan explains, “If they can’t feel and touch it if it’s the women’s washroom or if it’s the men’s washroom, they may end up going to the wrong washroom.”
Ryan also notes an advertisement on an elevator door is another issue. She adds that people with mobility issues, such as those who use wheelchairs and scooters, have trouble after they use a button to automatically open the washroom door and use one of the stalls.
“Once they’re in there, they’re trapped for an hour or more, until another person comes in that can open the door for them to get out. Just imagine what it would be like for able bodied individuals to be trapped in a room and not be able to get out, that would not be acceptable. Yet, for the disabled community, unfortunately it is acceptable.”
Masonville Place was reached, but has not commented on the matter.
