'Make sport venue toilets more accessible for disabled people' says Leeds veteran paralysed in Iraq war

Being a wheelchair user brings with it many barriers that non-disabled people don’t have to face, says military veteran Adam Douglas. Accessing a suitable toilet is one of them.
Laura Reid
By Laura Reid
Published 27th Jul 2023, 11:50 BST

Adam, 56, was paralysed in the Iraq war after being hit by a rocket-propelled grenade in 2003 and left with no feeling from the waist down. He requires the use of a Changing Places toilet when out and about, a purpose-built facility with equipment such as a hoist, height adjustable changing table, and height adjustable sink.

Adam, from Leeds, has joined forces with national campaign #RiseForSport, urging sporting venues to make toilets more accessible for disabled fans and athletes. He says: “I fully back this campaign which is very simply asking for more toilet facilities that are fit for purpose for the thousands of disabled people across the UK who need them so they can access sports facilities – something that non-disabled people are able to do without a second’s thought. I hope we can see real change as a result of raising awareness about this issue.

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“I had 30 years in the military in the Royal Armoured Corps and enjoyed every minute of it. I was extremely active, and my fitness levels were something I was always proud of. I loved swimming and obviously being in the army you had to keep yourself fit so having access to sport was always important to me. But since that day in 2003, my life has been very different. I was in hospital for over nine months and have undergone 56 operations on my spine, bladder, bowel, spleen and shoulders to name just a few. I have slowly adjusted to the way things are, but it takes time and there is always a new challenge for me to face...

Military veteran Adam Douglas, who was paralysed in the Iraq war, has joined forces with a national campaign urging sporting venues to make toilets more accessible for disabled fans and athletes.Military veteran Adam Douglas, who was paralysed in the Iraq war, has joined forces with a national campaign urging sporting venues to make toilets more accessible for disabled fans and athletes.
Military veteran Adam Douglas, who was paralysed in the Iraq war, has joined forces with a national campaign urging sporting venues to make toilets more accessible for disabled fans and athletes.

“I have to plan ahead for any journey or trip I go on and if there isn’t a Changing Places toilet I can’t go there - it’s as simple as that. I’m doubly incontinent and have no feeling in my bladder or bowel so when I have to go, I have to go. I’ve had many an accident where it’s been too late and it’s humiliating and degrading for me. Due to the damage to my shoulders, they are not weight bearing, so I am unable to transfer myself from my chair to the loo, so I need a hoist and support, and this is where the Changing Places toilet comes in.”

Adam lives with his wife Maria and also has the support of carers four times a day to help with his personal care needs. He hopes to encourage as many people as possible to sign a petition calling for Changing Places toilets to be made mandatory in UK sporting venues with a capacity of more than 350 people. At present, only new builds a with such capacity must include a Changing Place facility. The petition calls for this to apply to existing venues, too.

“It is soul destroying to think the impact this issue has on the 250,000 people in this country who need to use Changing Places toilets,” Adam says. “Sport plays such an important part in everyday life and it is terrible that not every venue has to have a toilet that is suitable which then means disabled people like me are denied the chance to be involved.” To sign the petition, visit sport.riseadapt.co.uk/

Related topics:LeedsIraqSport