Concerts and Porta-Potties
I’m Manuel and I have Cerebral Palsy, but that doesn’t stop me, oh no! I’m a rough around the edges kinda guy with tattoos all over my arms. I’m prompt to wherever I might have to be, it doesn’t matter where it is: movies, concerts, concert fests, or entertainment events. I even support local bands like The Mendenhall Experiment and Dirty Machine. Saturdays, I go on Hollywood Blvd. to rock out with my Green Jello friends, who have a live podcast with music and talent shows. And if I’m doing none of those, I’m still supporting the things I love by catching them on TV or scrolling up and down on social media. I’m constantly searching for my next show or event. If I could, I would go to the movies, wrestling events, and a bunch of concerts nearly every day.
A couple of years ago, I went to a Slipknot concert festival in San Bernadino with my neighbors, Gerard and Morgan. I went in my manual wheelchair and my neighbors pushed me on the rocky, hard ground through the crowd in 90-degree weather. I’ve known Gerard and Morgan for a long while, and we have gone to many great shows and festivals together. I think I get more excited when the people I’m with are just as excited for the show as I am.
I love photographing and video recording concerts. I just want to capture every detail-- because I’m so in tune with the music and vibe-- including any theatrics and production value. I record endlessly, I don’t care if my arms and my back are killing me since I hold my phone up for hours. To me, seating is important. I like to center myself with the stage to avoid side seating, all while trying to get as close as possible to the stage. After any of my events, everything I capture is posted to my Facebook. I get lots of likes and comments: “That’s awesome. Have fun, bro!” and “How did you get those tickets? How much were they?” or “Wish I could’ve gone!”
Some people that I know go to the same shows and we end up seeing each other there, sometimes planned and sometimes surprisingly unplanned. Other times, I end up meeting great, new people that become lasting friends. Going to concerts is awesome and I could never get enough! If I could, I would go nearly every day to see all the artists and bands I love!
As I mentioned, I have Cerebral Palsy (CP), GMFCS Level 4. CP affects people differently and is usually explained through 5, different levels, Level 5 being the most severe and Level 1 being the least severe. These levels are measured by a common classification tool “Gross Motor Functions Classification System” (GMFCS).
CP is considered to be a neurological condition caused by brain damage in the womb and causes one to have exaggerated reflexes, floppy or rigid limbs, and involuntary motions.
CP Level 4 has me in a power wheelchair and affects my right side. I transfer from one point to another by using my upper arms, usually having myself slide to the floor and crawl. I can balance myself only for seconds to get to elevated surfaces, such as my bed and couch. When I do balance, I tremble and shake, causing me to feel anxiety, stress, and muscle pain. Going to the bathroom causes me to feel this way. At times, at my fiance's place, I either sweat a lot trying to position myself on the toilet seat or I have so much muscle pain and anxiety, that I have the fear of falling or I find myself stuck and calling for help. Keep in mind, all this might happen when my pants are down, and I want nobody to see me like that!
Other than CP, I have other coexisting conditions like seizures, epilepsy, cognitive disorders, and mood swings. My mood swings occasionally depend on social interactions, putting me in an overly excited and loud state. And there are other times, I tune out the world doing my own thing whether it’s playing video games or listening to music on my headphones.
You know, CP comes with all sorts of disadvantages and advantages.
At the Slipknot concert, I was rolled around the outdoor venue by my neighbors, Gerard and Morgan, eating and drinking, enjoying the festival while waiting for the main stage to open in order to be seated for the show. Suddenly, I had to use the bathroom!
Looking for a bathroom was terrible. The accessible bathroom stalls at the venue, itself, weren't open just yet; and the only thing available was the Porta-Potty.
I found a wheelchair-accessible Porta-Potty, only to discover I needed lots of assistance. The good thing was, I was able to get my wheelchair in, the bad thing was, there were no metal rails for me to hold on to and transfer to and from. Luckily, the accessible Porta-Potty had enough room for me and a companion. A friend of mine, James, helped me transfer but my situation wasn’t ideal!
Why wasn’t it ideal?
First, I like my privacy and independence, second, my CP kicks in, lastly, things need to be rearranged.
Don’t get me wrong, I love James. He is an awesome guy, and he or anyone else is usually always willing and eager to help me out when I need it. But, like most people, I value using the toilet alone. Imagine using the toilet with someone who might have the chance to hear your business, because if they stand outside of the Porta-Potty, they wouldn’t be able to hear you’ve finished. You might ask, why not call or text them back in when finished? News flash: San Bernardino outdoor venues have terrible cell service!
As my friend, James assisted and transferred me, my CP escalated enough to be noticed. I got really stiff and felt anxiety and fear when I was lifted. Not that James didn't have me safe, but regardless of who I am handled by, a lot of things run through my head: Will I be dropped? Will I slip? Will I hurt or twist a body part? Will I be seated properly enough to be able to balance myself after they let go or will I fall? or Will the person helping have common sense in care and caution?
So I landed on the toilet safely, but I still had to balance and find something to hold on to and I did, I thought to hold onto my wheelchair’s armrest and it gave me some stability. James stepped out and he checked up on me every couple of minutes, like I mentioned bad cell service, let alone I can’t hold the phone while I’m on the toilet.
All I’m trying to say is yeah, we all have disabilities and yes, ADA compliances are in public spaces, but I have come across a lot of obstacles. Like, you know, a narrow or horribly cracked sidewalk and I have to take the streets, or doors that should be automatic but they aren’t; and the Porta-Potty was just another accessible problem in my long list of obstacles in life because some people don’t realize our situation.
From an interaction designer’s perspective, Ojen explains, it is logical and welcoming to say every single one of us interacts with something one way or another; wherever they might be or whatever they're interacting with. The interactions could be anything, they could be physical, intangible, social, and/or anything else imaginable. These interactions are created, of course, by people, but different types of people. People with different ideas, motives, solutions, etc. can create incredible things.
For instance, the door lock and key entry was a successful creation for security but failed to foresee accessibility features. Later, smart door locks were invented and were first introduced in the hotel industry; and as technology advanced, smart door locks advanced also, according to the online article “The History Of Smart Door Locks’ Development” from www.bonwinlocks.com. Creating is one thing, but creating with design and inclusivity in mind gives power to the product and the consumer.
Today, we have app-based unlocking alternatives for our homes that give more possibilities and choices to a wider audience, like better and easier access value, or people with physical incapabilities are now accommodated with a push button. Advancing a successful product, such as door locks, to be inclusive, like the smart door locks, revolutionizes the creation and provides longevity.
With that said, the “door lock” insight should be applied towards thoughtfulness and how public services should better accommodate us all equally.
Going back to the Porta-Potties, it is a public service or product and it should accommodate us equally, regardless of our barriers. Although there was an accessible Porta-Potty, there wasn't a checklist for thoughtfulness and accessible safety measures.
The thoughtfulness comes from understanding different situations and perspectives. The situation might be Manuel needing a wheelchair-accessible bathroom and the perspective might be the necessities needed for usage, such as mounting rails for holding.
So this is post No. 4, if you have been reading 1 through 3 you might ask, What might be a design solution here? I say, let's be more thoughtful! How might we do this if everyone’s situation and perspective is so diverse? First, let's start understanding how we could be more thoughtful at all times by gaining and retaining information. Outdoor concert venue personnel understand there should be acceptable bathrooms, so accessible Porta-Potties were ordered. Perhaps they should've reviewed the Porta-Potties’ accessible features before ordering them for the outdoor concert. Alternatively, they should have had an accessibility checklist through the ADA compliant bathroom requirements for their Porta-Potty accommodations and ordered missing features to be installed.
On a lighter note, Manuel did say that he has recently seen better quality accessible Porta-Potties with all the internal accommodations.
Success, in any situation, should be measured through understanding different situations and perspectives, because respecting diversity is important in order to have a healthy society.