DCN has worked with families and the Changing Places Consortium to support museums and organisations to increase the number of Changing Places toilets in their towns and cities across the UK.
DCN and EMBED offer support for all heritage organisations on their inclusion journey including physical auditing and collaboration with the Changing Places Consortium.
There are over 250,000 people with disabilities such as (but not limited to) spinal injuries, muscular dystrophy and cerebral palsy in Britain who cannot use an accessible toilet but require a Changing Places toilet facility, some are the only examples in a town or area. But often these vital facilities are not available when travelling, visiting places or with family. This severely impacts on health, eating and drinking in addition to travelling times to venues, museums, shopping centres and cinemas.
If you have any questions, do get in touch via info@musedcn.org.uk
What is a Changing Places toilet?
A Changing Places toilet is different from an accessible toilet. One should not replace the other.
A Changing Places toilet will have a trackable hoist, a height-adjustable changing bed, a centrally placed toilet with room on both sides, a privacy screen/curtain, space for 2 carers and may have a shower. The link is here for further information: What is a Changing Places toilet?
My organisation wants to know about this:
Changing Places toilets support your organisation’s profile and are a vital tool in creating an accessible organisation for your customers and workers. A Changing Places toilet can support your organisation in reaching out to new audiences who will want to stay longer, eat and drink as there is Changing Places toilet provided.
If you need further information on developing a Changing Places toilet, either get in touch via info@musedcn.org.uk or the Changing Places toilet practical guide
Legislation:
The standard space required for a Changing Places toilet is 12 sqm. The Building Standard that relates to Changing Places toilets is BS8300-2.2018.
In 2020, changes in legislation for Approved Document M means that any museums or heritage site which are refurbished, extended or new buildings with a capacity of over 350 people will need to have a Changing Places toilet.
Link here: Government Response to Changing Places toilets, July 2020
There is a £30m funding for existing buildings to install Changing Places toilets in due course. Further information is via this link: Funding and do get in touch if you are interested in this funding stream for your organisation via info@musedcn.org.uk
Further funding:
NEW: Second round of Local Authorities funding for installing Changing Places toilets (August 2022)
National Lottery Fund for Heritage
Arts Council Museum Estate and Development Fund (MEND)
So, you really haven’t got the space so what’s next?
Often it can be due to limited space, therefore it is vital that museums find out where the nearest Changing Places toilet is to their organisation. It is important that the location of the facility and how close it is to the organisation is on the museums website as part of their access statement. You can find your nearest Changing Places toilet via the Changing Places consortium website http://www.uktoiletmap.org/
If you don’t have one near you, speak to your local council, tourism officer for potential collaboration to place in the town centre. There are statistics related to the tourism economy in towns and cities which value the purple pound at £274 Billion (source: Purple). Lack of facilities means people will actively seek and go to providers who have installed these toilets and other accessible facilities and inclusive experiences.
But, we are listed and in the middle of nowhere:
Listed status should not be the sole reason to not install a facility. Its important that the organisation demonstrates that it has researched, and consulted stakeholders and experts on why a facility cannot be installed and alternatives.
There are other options such as IHus offer modular Changing Places toilets.
We are holding an event, or need to pilot this:
There are portable Changing Places toilets that are available to hire called Mobiloo at a reasonable cost.
When there are no changing places toilets, how does this impact on families and adults?
There are a number of blog sites in which parents of children with disabilities and adults write about the impact of changing their children and members of their families on wet tiled floors and car boots.
“This situation gives us a feeling of increasing worthlessness, social exclusion and inability to participate in everyday activities that others take for granted”. Alison Beevers, Retford Changing Places Campaign.
Families can become champions of your organisations by inclusive practice.
“then to the Changing Places toilet, with adult changing bench and hoist, to get Flossie sorted. These type of facilities are extremely rare in our public places, but they are the only type of loo where Flossie can be sorted with dignity (so Thank You, Eureka, for including one).” Lorna Fillingham, blogger
Check out the following blog sites:
Inclusion Isn’t A Challenge Its A Chance of Exciting Possibilities, Becki Morris and Zoe Partington for
National Lottery Fund for Heritage
‘The Art of Exloosion‘ by Alison Beevers, Retford Changing Places Campaigner
Lorna Fillingham’s blog ‘A Wheelie Great Adventure‘