Changing Places (campaign)
{{Short description|British campaign for accessible toilet facilities}}
Changing Places is a British consortium and campaign which aims to improve accessible toilet facilities. It maintains a list of toilets which meet its requirements - as of March 2020, 1460 had been registered.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=9 September 2020|title=The Government's response to the consultation on changing places toilets|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/changing-places-toilets|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190512133900/https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/changing-places-toilets |archive-date=2019-05-12 |access-date=16 November 2020|website=Ministry of Housing}} Locations include 100 Tesco supermarkets, and the Tower of London.{{Cite web|date=3 December 2020|title=Tesco installs 100th Changing Places facility in Watford to help disabled shoppers.|url=https://www.tescoplc.com/news/2020/tesco-installs-100th-changing-places-facility/|url-status=live|access-date=23 February 2021|website=Tesco|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210124000430/https://www.tescoplc.com/news/2020/tesco-installs-100th-changing-places-facility/ |archive-date=2021-01-24 }}{{Cite web|title=Tower of London is oldest UK building with a Changing Places facility|url=https://accessassociation.co.uk/2020/11/21/tower-of-london-becomes-oldest-uk-building-with-a-changing-places-facility/|date=2021-11-21|access-date=2021-02-23|website=Access Association|language=en-GB}}
History
The Changing Places consortium was established in 2005.{{Cite web|last=Fi Anderson|date=2019-11-19|title=Revolutionary New App for Changing Places Users!|url=https://lifeofanambitiousturtle.co.uk/2019/11/19/revolutionary-app-for-changing-places/|access-date=2020-11-16|website=Life Of An Ambitious Turtle|language=en-GB}}
In 2019, the Scottish Government launched a consultation on changes to planning rules which would see the introduction of requirements for Changing Places facilities.{{Cite web|date=2019-02-18|title=Ekklesia {{!}} Scottish Government launches Changing Places consultation|url=http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/node/27757|access-date=2020-11-16|website=www.ekklesia.co.uk|language=en}}
From 2021, it will be compulsory in England for many new buildings to include a Changing Places facility. It was also announced that Changing Places facilities would be installed at 37 motorway services which would mean that 87 of England's 118 services will have a Changing Places facility.{{Cite news|date=2020-07-19|title=Changing Places toilets for disabled people to be compulsory|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-53448846|access-date=2020-11-16}}
Work
The consortium states that standard accessible toilets do not meet the requirements of around 250,000 disabled people in the United Kingdom and has created a list of requirements for a Changing Places facility. These include a minimum area for the facility, a hoist, changing bench, and curtain.
A map of Changing Places facilities can be viewed on the Changing Places website, and reviews can be written via an app.
References
External links
- [http://www.changing-places.org/ Official website]