PISSED OFF! Disability activists fighting for toilet access in the UK

This chapter is comprised of a dialogue between two researchers and four activists about the significance of the toilet in disabled people’s personal and political lives. Reflecting on the contemporary context of toilet activism and issues of accessibility in the UK, we situate the toilet within a wider disability justice movement which speaks to issues of austerity, categorisation, in/visibility, and both social and physical marginalisation. We draw on the research completed in the Around the Toilet project (2015–2018) to bridge the divide between academia and activism and critically consider what we should expect from an ‘accessible’ space. By introducing a range of different ways in which toilet access, comfort and availability is advocated and executed, including social media campaigns, personal blogging, petitions, and the creative re-designing of spaces and signage, we explore the meanings, influence and impact of activism, and consider how these responses fit into the lives of toilet activists.