Disabled Woman Calls Out Cosplayers Misusing Accessible Toilets
Chalalyn is just 26, but an illness that began shortly after she started building her adult life has left her unable to walk, in chronic pain and with only limited movement in her hands. Not long ago, she had graduated, found work and was beginning to enjoy the independence that came with earning her own […]
Chalalyn, now 26, fell ill shortly after starting her career, leaving her unable to walk, in constant pain and with limited hand movement. After graduating at 22 and earning a monthly salary of 21,000 baht—sometimes reaching 30,000 to 40,000 baht with commissions—she enjoyed the freedom of buying what she wanted and traveling. She later developed tuberculous meningitis, which affected her spinal cord and nerves, gradually taking away her ability to walk. Over the past two years, her savings were drained by caring for her grandmother and paying uncovered medical expenses, leaving her with hundreds of thousands of baht in debt. She underwent C4‑C6 cervical fusion surgery at Rajavithi Hospital on 24 December 2024; although the recovery initially went well, the procedure left her with limited neck mobility and ongoing shoulder pain. Both arms and hands are now severely weakened, allowing only thumb movement, and she experiences persistent pain, even while sleeping, due to nerve compression. In recent Facebook posts, Chalalyn shared her frustration about accessible toilets being occupied by cosplayers changing clothes at events. After becoming a wheelchair user, she waited over ten minutes for an accessible toilet at two recent conventions, only to see a cosplayer emerge carrying clothing. She emphasized that accessible facilities should remain available for those who truly need them, regardless of disability status.
