‘More changing facilities needed for disabled children’ say parents

24th of January 2017
‘More changing facilities needed for disabled children’ say parents

Thousands of UK parents are having to lay their disabled children on dirty toilet floors in order to change their clothes.

These parents are unable to use standard loos to change their severely disabled youngsters because there is rarely space for a wheelchair. And they say standard baby-changing facilities are too small to accommodate older children.

According to parents the lack of Changing Places toilets in supermarkets, cinemas and shopping centres has led to a situation that is "dangerous, unhygienic and undignified".

Andrew Newton from North Yorkshire says visiting attractions with his nine-year-old daughter, Aniela - who suffers from cerebral palsy - is a real issue. "We go to places that say they are wheelchair-friendly but they are only obliged to provide wheelchair toilets, not Changing Places toilets," he said.

Rachel George, mother of 10-year-old Adam who is also disabled, said her family had stopped visiting local attractions altogether since she is no longer able to change Adam in the back of her car. "All that stands in the way of our boy and a great day out is a toilet with a hoist and bench," she said.

Parents are campaigning for Changing Places toilets - which come with an adult-sized changing bench, hoist and space for two carers - to be installed in all disabled toilets across the UK. There are currently only 902 in the country but an estimated 250,000 people require them.

Mike Le-Surf of Changing Places said the problem was preventing many people from leaving their houses because "changing someone on a dirty floor is not acceptable".

 

 

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