I am in a wheelchair because I am too dizzy to be trusted to be out of one. I always need to have two hands on a brace or a table or wall if I am transferring.

This leads me to the bathroom situation. I was standing carefully, using one hand to remove my underwear, and then sitting. My aide said I can’t do that because I still wobble and my arms are weak. But how else am I supposed to do this? Have my bottom, which sometimes has blood, on my chair cushion? Have my underwear on the dirty seat? I don’t know. I hope you can help.

I’m going into this with these assumptions:

  1. You get dizzy or unstable while standing.
  2. Your restroom is not officially wheelchair accessible (no grab bars).
  3. You have an aide but they don’t help you in the restroom.

The question is pretty vague and it isn’t clear what accessibility features (if any) are available in the restroom.

Here are some things you can try:

Put a Towel Down

If you’re worried about your bare skin or clothing touching your cushion (a valid concern), put a towel over your wheelchair cushion before you stand up to use the restroom. That way, if you do sit down, you’re not putting your bare skin or clothing directly on the chair cushion.

Use a Walker to Stand

Instead of holding on to the wall, use a walker to stand up. The walker will give you a more stable anchor point to grab on to. You would bring the walker into the restroom, use it to stand up, free one hand to remove your clothing, and then use the walker to safely turn around and (I presume) sit.

Transfer to a Shower Chair First

If you have a shower chair, you could transfer to that first, undress, and then transfer to the toilet.

What’s the Deal With Your Aide?

If your aide is familiar enough with your bathroom habits to critique them, why the fuck aren’t they assisting you directly or at least giving you tips on how to more safely use the restroom?