Disabled rights campaigners have expressed alarm at suggestions that accessible toilets could serve as a solution for transgender people following the Supreme Court ruling on biological sex. The ruling has led to organisations banning trans people from using toilets matching their gender identity, with some, including Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, proposing disabled facilities as an alternative.
Michaela Hollywood, a disability rights activist, said she has watched “in horror” as the ruling unfolded. She highlighted the scarcity of Changing Places toilets—specialist facilities for disabled people requiring hoists—and stressed that one in three LGBT+ people are also disabled, fostering strong allyship between the communities.
Claire Glasman of WinVisible, a grassroots disabled women’s group, noted that disabled women understand discrimination firsthand. She argued that trans people should not be segregated into disabled toilets, citing frequent issues such as locked or out-of-order facilities and improperly stored alarm cords.
Inclusion London, an organisation for deaf and disabled people, warned that forcing trans people to use accessible toilets would worsen the situation. A spokesperson said policing bathroom use harms everyone, and the ruling encourages public scrutiny based on appearance, which is a “huge step backwards for all our rights.”
Ju Gosling, co-chair of Regard, the national LGBTQI and disabled people’s organisation, described the current climate as “a charter for people to bully you.” She expressed concern that businesses, fearing lawsuits, may stop providing toilets altogether, which would disproportionately affect disabled people.
