Jen Hewitt, VONNE's Health and Wellbeing Engagement Coordinator, shares her personal reflections on the value of Changing Places toilets.
One significant aspect of living with a wheelchair user is the lack of spontaneity when leaving the house or visiting somewhere new. Often, if we receive an impromptu invite for lunch or want to stay longer at a particular venue, we simply can’t and have to say no. There are multiple factors to this, but one major contributor is suitable changing facilities (or lack thereof) and the ability to provide my disabled daughter with a toilet break when I can’t lift her in and out of her wheelchair by myself.
One thing that makes a huge difference is a Changing Places toilet, which includes extra space and equipment so that everyone can use it regardless of their access needs or disability. According to the Change Places website, “a quarter of a million people in the UK need Changing Places toilets to enable them to get out and about and enjoy the day-to-day activities which many of us take for granted”, which includes people with profound and multiple learning disabilities or with physical disabilities such as muscular dystrophy.
Having a suitable space to change my daughter with dignity is an absolute game changer. Whenever we make a long journey, we locate a Changing Places toilet on the way and plan our route around it. Similarly, our carers are not allowed to lift her even with two people present, so a hoist and changing facilities are vital when planning any trips out.
You’d be surprised how few Changing Places there are in certain areas. When we visited Wales last summer, we were shocked to find as few as 50 in the whole country, with the majority located in the most populated areas, and nothing suitable for miles around.
Earlier in the year, we paid a visit to Jason Wilsher-Mills’ exhibition ‘Are We There Yet?’, which was created in response to disabled communities in Hull, Wakefield and Manchester. One sculpture was a large Changing Places inflatable, where visitors can read words from those with this lived experience as they pass through a tunnel beneath the giant figure.
Artist Jason Wilsher-Mills shared: “Changing Places help many disabled people participate in day-to-day activities. Without access to such places, many disabled people are forced to stay home or be changed in unhygienic spaces, such as bathroom floors.”
Another aspect for organisations to consider is the very targeted business that comes from having a Changing Places nearby or within the premises, as well as the disability positive reputation that accompanies it. I recently found out that the Star and Shadow Cinema in Newcastle has a Changing Places, and friends with disabled children and I have planned a visit specifically for this reason. Similarly, Haystaks café in County Durham prides itself on its inclusive approach in terms of layout, changing facilities and forest school, using accessibility as a real driver for trade. Moreover, having toilets that anyone can access provides better employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
For more information about the Changing Places campaign as well as funding options for installing one at your organisation’s premises, visit Changing Places Toilets.