Aspiring Paralympian Natasha Price made to crawl on Gold Coast toilet floor

• Wheelchair athlete has to crawl to toilet 
•  No disabled toilets at Gold Coast track
•  The council has issued an apology

An aspiring Paralympian has lashed out after being forced to crawl on the toilet floor to use a public facility prompting a local council to issue a grovelling apology. 

Wheelchair marathoner Natasha Price said she was ‘absolutely disgusted’ following the incident at Luke Harrop Memorial Criterium Track, on the Gold Coast.

Because of a raised step and the narrow confines of the cubicle Ms Price was forced to hoist herself out of her wheelchair to get inside the toilet. 

‘I am lucky to have the strength and flexibility to have been able to get into this portaloo – many would not have,’ Price wrote on her Instagram.

‘But I should not have had to put my hands on a toilet floor (couldn’t wash after as the sink is a foot pump – couldn’t flush either for the same reason). 

‘In Queensland’s year of accessible tourism, surely such basic needs should have been thought about in a facility that is used by MANY visitors to the Coast?

‘Please consider EVERYONE when making provisions at Council facilities.’

Footage posted by Price shows her awkwardly manoeuvring into the small space and shaking her head in exasperation before giving a sardonic smile. 

Price noted the track’s regular toilets were out of commission but criticised council for not making that clearer.

‘There was no signage stating the toilet block was out of order until putting our wheelchairs together and getting out of the car, to go around the corner and see a tiny sign high up on the door (no consideration for vision impaired users, which we know also use the track),’ she wrote.

She ended her broadside at the council with a searing request.

‘Please consider EVERYONE when making provisions at Council facilities,’  she wrote.

Social media users were left outraged and dismally unimpressed by the incident.

‘That’s f***ed.. when I was wheel chair bound last year and early this year there’s absolutely no way I’d have made it in there, didn’t matter how much help was around that was not happening!’ one person wrote. 

‘And the disabled toilet doors with really heavy door closers!! Or when they only have the really high or the really low toilet paper holders.’

‘Just unacceptable – keep up the great advocacy and let’s hope they make the changes so everyone has dignity and access,’ another person wrote.

City of Gold Coast Council made an unreserved apology for what they labelled an ‘oversight’.

‘Late last week, the City became aware that demolition works of a nearby building would impact the sewerage tanks at the toilets in this area, and they would require temporary disconnection,’ a spokesman told news.com.au.

‘This was not planned and in organising the temporary facilities at short notice, ensuring an accessible toilet was available was overlooked. We are reviewing our processes to ensure it does not happen again.’

Ms Price suffered a neurological disorder in 2007 that left her blind and in a wheelchair at the age of 28.

Despite this devastating turn of events the now 42-year-old has become a seasoned marathon competitor and is in training for the Paris Paralympic Games later this year.  

She recently won the Brisbane Marathon and broke the 100m and 400m records in January as well as being named Gold Coast Women of the Year.

In 2019 she won the Auckland Marathon and was selected to represent Queensland in the 2020 National Track and Field Championships in Sydney before Covid cancelled the event.

‘Chasing huge goals and not achieving them is hard but so is knowing what you want and not even trying,’ she recently posted about her marathon ambitions. 

‘Being in excruciating pain is hard, but so is giving up on the things you love due to that pain.

‘Completing a 42km gruelling marathon is hard but so is allowing your strength, fitness and health to disappear because you don’t prioritise your physical wellbeing.

‘We all have choices to make but only you can decide which path is harder and choose which one you wish to take.’