Campaigns
Changing Places - Accessible Loos for All
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"Changing
Places" is a national campaign with the aim of ensuring that
'standard accessible toilets' (disabled toilets) are made fully accessible. The campaign was initially
started by PAMIS
who have now joined forces with other groups to form the Changing
Places Consortium. Over 170 organisations and agencies across
the UK are supporting the Consortium's 'Changing Places' campaign. The
Consortium is also working
with MPs/MSPs/Assembly members, service providers and the British Toilet Association to bring about change
The Consortium members are:
The lack of suitable changing facilities in toilets for
people
with disabilities is one of the most restrictive practical problems
preventing families from going out.
- Families are reduced to changing their daughters or
sons on
toilet floors
- This is undignified, unhygienic and involves heavy
lifting
by the carers with the potential to cause serious damage to their backs.
- This results in families opting to stay at home which
increases isolation and lack of stimulus
What is a Changing Places toilet?
Changing Places
toilets provide:
This Changing Places toilet has an
adult-sized changing bench, a hoist, and a centrally-based toilet with enough space for
two carers.
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The right
equipment
- A height adjustable changing bench
- A tracking hoist system, or mobile hoist
Enough space
- Adequate space in the changing area for the
disabled
person and up to two carers
- A centrally placed toilet with room on either
side
for the carers
- A screen or curtain to allow the disabled
person and
carer some privacy
A safe and clean environment
- Wide, tear-off paper roll to cover the bench
- Aarge waste bin for disposable pads
- A non-slip floor
Hoists
In order to make toilets fully accessible for all users
and
meet the requirements of the manual handling policies, a tracking hoist
should be installed or a mobile hoist. |
PAMIS volunteer Joyce Carle using a
hoist in a
Changing Places toilet
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How can I learn more?
PAMIS has produced a video as
part of
the
campaign called Time for a change - the need for adult changing
facilities in accessible toilets.
The video features four young people and their
family
carers
showing the difficulties they experience in standard
accessible toilets.
The video deals with:
- Health & safety issues for the person
with
disabilities and their carers
- Equipment required, design, layout and space
- Examples of good practice
- How you can help
Copies of the video with a fact sheet, posters, postcards to send to
your city council, and more campaigning materials are available
from the Changing
Places website.
Read
the real life stories of people who need Changing Places
toilets
Learn more about the design,
layout and cost of Changing Places toilets
Visit our website at http://www.changing-places.org |
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