Hi all, I watched the Mc Libel production on SBS last night and it has renewed my anger over “Mc Disease”.I am a direct care worker; I work with people with physical and intellectual disabilities in Victoria Australia. I assist people on recreation and leisure programs and I have, while working, assisted my clients to access Mc Donald’s restaurants (like it deserves that label). This is their choice as many enjoy mc Donald’s, especially children and we all know about those issues.
My issue is that I believe that Mc Donald’s blatantly discriminates against people with disabilities. Have you ever tried to get a wheelchair into a mc Donald’s toilet? Impossible. There are very few which actually have disabled access, and I have been to many. I have confronted management on duty and I received this response from once such Mc Donald’s store in Wantirna, Victoria. "We do not have the customer demand to install new disabled toilets." I asked how then do they use the toilets. I was answered "then they should go before the get here". I had to carry my client into the cramped toilet, stripping my client of their dignity, humiliating him and increasing the risk of injuring my back. I replied sarcastically and loud enough for other customers to hear "well I guess we will just piss our pants then."
Planning regulations do not force this store to install disabled toilets as it was built before the regulations were introduced. However what stains my mind is the blatant disregard and hypercritical notion of publicly promoting Ronald Mc Donald house for disadvantaged and terminally ill children as a caring response to the “social good” when in practice it is "too expensive" to give a PERSON the dignity to have a natural bodily function free of humiliation, comfort and restricted access.
Shame Ronald Shame.
I am willing to take on a campaign regarding this issue if anyone is motivated enough.
Jason.
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McSpotlight: Go for it; and the very best of luck to you.
None.
