Bristol may now be on the map as a tourist destination for more disabled people, thanks to two new specialist toilet facilities. The BBC reports that the Changing Rooms toilets have been approved for installation at the Blaise Castle Estate, and the Royal West of England Academy Art Gallery (RWA).
A third toilet will be installed at Robinson House care home in Stockwood. Funding for all three facilities totalling £123,814 was awarded to Bristol City Council from the Changing Places Fund, which is administered by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Changing Places was established in 2005 to campaign for better public changing facilities for disabled people. The organisation is made up from a consortium of not-for-profit organisations, who support the rights of disabled people to live with dignity, and have access to areas of society where they are frequently excluded.
Regular disabled toilets are not large or well-equipped enough to help those with more profound levels of mental or physical disability, such as cerebral palsy, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis, or stroke. They may require changing tables and hoists, for example.
Standard disabled toilets are rarely big enough to allow room for a carer to assist with these tasks. Changing Places toilets are large enough to accommodate extra equipment, and carers. In 2007, there were only 30 such toilets in public places around the UK. Since then, the design has been standardised to British Standard 8300.
There are currently now 1,750 Changing Places toilets around the UK. The organisation aims to continue its campaign until there is one in every public place in the UK, including city centres, shopping centres, arts and cultural venues, hospitals, transport hubs, sports stadiums, theme parks, and sports venues.
Changing Places says on its website: “Put simply, we want to see Changing Places toilets installed in all public venues, so that everyone, regardless of their access needs or disability or reliance on the assistance of carers or specialist equipment, can use a toilet facility with dignity and hygienically.”
They add: “People with profound and multiple learning disabilities or with physical disabilities such as spinal injuries, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis often need extra equipment and space to allow them to use the toilets safely and comfortably.”
“These needs are met by Changing Places toilets. Changing Places Toilets enable anyone, regardless of their disability, to go to the shops, attend hospital appointments, enjoy community life, socialise and travel. All the things that most of us take for granted every day.”
Although there are now many more disabled facilities in public spaces, thousands of disabled people still miss out on socialising, visits to arts and cultural venues, educational or training opportunities, or even medical care, because they do not have access to suitable toilets.
Most people take these things for granted, and rarely consider the obstacles faced by those living with a disability. Hopefully Changing Places will continue to make progress improving the lives of disabled people and their carers throughout the UK.
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10 October,2022
