Six Days ago a story aired on the local news of a local man’s frustration of paper towels being removed from the restrooms of the turnpike, which is the first of the nation by the way. He encouraged people to speak up to prevent the process from coninuing to be rolled out statewide.
And while I haven’t visited a service plaza since before COVID, it does mattter to me and in the realm of self-advocacy.
You see, at one time as an autistic child I struggled with the usage of public restrooms due to sensory overload, one of those reasons being the hand dryers planned to replaced the paper towels being removed.
The overload of the sound, feel, and torque of the machines these days,
While I am able to withstand using a hand dryer when necessary, my preference is a paper towel.
This is not just for the purpose of drying our hands. This can also be from having to clean up a spill one may have or just the feel of a paper towel to ensure on that their hands are dry.
I was thinking of all the individuals with sensory challenges that struggle enough to use a restroom and when you option would eventually have to resort to the use of these facilities, just the sound of the hair dryer can add fear for them to meet their neeeds when it is essential to do so in an already challenging and unfamiliar environment.
Today, I recieved a response back from the turnpike commission that due to customer (users of the turnpike) largely opposing this measure, thatr they reversed the decision and that the dispensers that were initially removed were reinstalled.
This is the reason why using your voice and advocating for when things affect you, even as simple as having paper towels in a public restroom matter.
Because the people have spoken.
Dustin's Dynasty 
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