The Committee Secretary
My Anthony Samuels
I read with abated interest, the draft 2009 Disability Access Standards re: buildings.
No where within this document was there any reference to the HEIGHT of which ‘Toilet Suites’ should be installed.
Please see my submission which I enclose.
Many many thanks for allowing me this opportunity to address my very deep concerns. 
Mr Anthony Samuels.
Attention:
The Committee Secretary
Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs
PO Box 6021
PARLIAMENT HOUSE
CANBERRA  ACT  2600

Dear Sir/Madam

RE: My submission – Disability (Access to Premises – Buildings) Standards 2009

Firstly and foremost, I wish to acknowledge, applaud and commend the efforts by all concerned in relation to the aforementioned, in bringing about change in order to improve ‘quality of life’ for all those experiencing challenges in there day to day lives as a result of there disability.

With this in mind, I wish to share with you my extreme concerns I have in relation to accessing a very basic service within any building or facility.

My brief background: I was born with a rare form of Muscular Dystrophy – ‘Bethlem Myopathy’ and as with any disease with age, I have now experienced problems within the community, and as a result I have become a PRISONER in my own home. 

What is my problem? I cannot now leave my home as I have lost my security should I have the need to access a toilet.
Yes! It is as basic as a TOILET!
Should I need to sit on the toilet, because of my disability I am unable to propel myself up in order to set off. Even if I am within a ‘disabled toilet’, the railing on the wall are of no benefit as I have severe wasting of the muscles in my wrists some I am unable to hold onto the rails to pull myself up.
What I would like to see as standard Nationally and would solve my problem and others sharing the same difficulty  is…very simply install higher toilet suites .
My ‘ toilet suite’ at home is a Caroma  - P/N 6144OOW and sits on 4cm of concrete making the overall height from floor to top 47cms. Simply having a higher ‘toilet suite’ allows me the dignity of maintaining my own toilet needs.
Whom would be disadvantaged by installing higher ‘toilet suites’ within ALL public toilets?
Simple answer: absolutely no one. Having higher toilets will have no impact on able bodied persons what-so-ever however improve the quality of life for persons such as myself.
There appears to be an attitude from my own perspective that by installing hand rails within a ‘disabled toilet’ that all has been addressed.
People such as myself fall through the cracks as we are not yet in a wheel –chair however are as disabled as the person in the wheel-chair.
Being a person whom is totally comfortable with his disability and being totally realistic, I am fully aware and accepting of the fact that should I live long enough, I will be spending my awake hours in a wheel-chair. So it is very important to me to try, despite the pain doing everything I can to keep out of that wheel-chair.
What is worrying me is, because I can no longer get out of any community toilet, even the designated disabled ones, I cannot any longer leave home, which is going to impact on my emotional well-being more than my physical.
What would I like this enquiry to look at?
Seeing if it would be possible to include within the new Standards nationally that any new installation of a ‘toilet suite’ to be of the one I outlined earlier Caroma  Care Pan - P/N 6144OOW and with current suites exempt unless for many reasons it needs replacing.
It is amazing that when we look at how to improve one’s ‘quality of life’ you cannot get as basic as a ‘toilet suite’…we are not talking about moving a mountain or big dollars. A simple ‘toilet suite’.
I would like to see the end of low toilet suites as not only persons with mobility limitations have difficulty getting off a low toilet seat a large number of our senior (elderly) population also have lost the muscle strength  in the tops of their legs which allow us to lift off a seat, chair etc.
So, in closing, as I stated earlier, my proposal can only improve the ‘quality of life’ for people such as myself with mobility limitations and the elderly however makes no difference what-so-ever to any one else using the ‘toilet suite’.
This would allow me ti retain my independence, pride, dignity, self-respect but most importantly allow me to be part of society again.
Thank you for hearing my viewpoint. I wish all involved all the best and I only hope that my proposal be looked at or installed when looking at changes to the current Standards.
Please acknowledge my letter and many thanks
Mr A Samuels    26/3/2009