The Story of Red Cords

For our first post, we thought it would be prudent to discuss Red Cords and the importance they play in a disabled persons life. This blog post aims to raise vital awareness of why you mustn’t interfere with these pieces of equipment. 

First of all, what is a red cord?

Basically, it does what it says on the tin. It is a long red rope with 2 plastic triangles. The significance of it being red, is that red is associated with danger. Common sense would be that if you see one of these, you leave it alone. However, in this Ableist society, common sense is often a second thought. A red cord is usually found in public disabled toilets so that if a disabled person was to take a fall or have a seizure or whatever emergencies they face, they can get help quickly. The cord is long with two triangles to grip and pull - one triangle is placed at seat height and the other is placed on the floor. You can see what the cord looks like or what it is similar too in the photo below

Photo Alt Text: Disabled toilet graphic showing what a red cord looks like. Graphic features a toilet, grab rails, sink and mirror and the cord

You will notice that the cord is free standing and not tied up, or caught up in anything. Red cords are lifesaving equipment and without them, many disabled people would not have the independence they have today. Imagine, being stuck on the floor for hours on end because your in a locked toilet and cannot ask for help because the cord is tied up, cut too short or placed where they cannot be accessed from either a sitting or ground position. 

A lot of the time, people will tie cords up because they are annoying. However, chances are, if you are finding a red cord to be annoying, you shouldn’t really be using a disabled toilet. 

The organisation Euan’s Guide has done a huge amount work on this. They released a YouTube video which you can find here. If you would like more information, please check out the Euan’s Guide website, by clicking here.

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