Changing the options for wheelchair accessible toilets

The new ‘Space to Change’ toilets from Clos-o-Mat bridge the gap between conventional wheelchair-accessible toilets and larger Changing Places facilities for venues that are limited financially and/or on space.

Developed by Changing Places campaigners and Clos-o-Mat, Space to Change is an 7m²⁺ wheelchair-accessible toilet that includes an adult-sized changing bench and hoist. 

Campaigning for Changing Places and Space to Change

The online special needs group, Firefly Community, has set up a campaign to raise awareness of the need for accessible toilets that include height adjustable changing benches and hoists, such as Changing Places and Space to Change.

Campaigner Tony Cloug commented: “So often, venues and organisations say they understand the need for a Changing Places toilet, but, in existing buildings, as it should be provided in addition to other accessible toilets, they haven’t the extra space- 12m²– or cannot afford the cost of potentially extensive building works to create the additional space, and the ancillaries and equipment.”

The Equality Act states that providers are required to make reasonable adjustments to the built environment to avoid situations where a disabled person would be at a ‘substantial’ disadvantage.  Fellow campaigner Sarah Brisdion believes that to being able to access suitable toilets, such as Changing Places, leaves the disabled at a substantial disadvantage.

She added: “In an ideal world, we would always prefer to have a Changing Places, but Space To Change gives a viable alternative for providers constrained by space and/or money. 

Without these facilities, we either have to lie our loved one on the toilet floor- which you wouldn’t even expect to do with a baby- or we have to cut our trip short, or not go at all. 

Many wheelchair-accessible toilets are already big enough, so all that is required to create a Space To Change, which gives everything needed, is the addition of the changing bench and hoist!”

Visit the Clos-o-Mat website for more details of the Space To Change concept, in addition to technical support and CAD blocks.

Contact:

Closomat
Building 1, Brooklands Place,
Brooklands Road,
Sale,
Cheshire,
M33 6SD,
United Kingdom

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