COUNCILS are being urged to apply for a share of a £30m fund to install life-enhancing Changing Places toilets in public places and tourist attractions.
The toilets, which are larger and for people who cannot use standard accessible toilets, have equipment such as hoists, curtains, adult-sized changing benches, and space for carers.
Over 250,000 people in the country need these facilities to enable them to get out and about and enjoy the day-to-day activities many people take for granted.
Shops, hospitals, and tourist attractions are the best places for toilets to be sited, according to research by the Research Institute for Disabled Consumers
Regional Growth Minister Luke Hall MP said: “In our national effort to build back better from Covid-19, the Government wants to create a stronger, safer and fairer society in which everyone is treated with dignity and respect.
“With central government, local government and the third sector working more closely together than ever before, we will put the right facilities in the right places for those who need them the most – extending freedom, accessibility and dignity to all.”
Ministerial Disability Champion Eddie Hughes MP said: “Where people shop, go out, or travel should not be determined by their disability. That’s why the provision of Changing Places Toilets is so important for people who cannot use standard accessible toilets.
“I hope local councils across England will apply for funding to install CPTs so everyone can enjoy the benefits of lockdown easing.”
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak MP said: “I have supported the Changing Places scheme ever since hearing first hand from parents of disabled children the difficulties they faced in finding accessible public facilities – something which the rest of us just take for granted.
“Applications for this £30m funding are now open, and I would encourage all local authorities to get involved, to make a real difference for families with disabled children.”
Lorna Fillingham, a Changing Places campaigner, added: “I have a disabled daughter who is a wheelchair user, and she’s non-verbal, which means that she can’t actually tell us when she needs to go to the toilet. Changing Places Toilets with an adult changing table, hoist and toilet are therefore a lifeline to us to have a family day out.
“Without these types of special facilities disabled children are having to be changed on public toilet floors or in the back of cars.
“In the 21st century nobody should be isolated in their homes because of a lack of an accessible toilet in their community, and nobody should have to be laid on a public toilet floor.”
Expressions of interest must be submitted by 26 September 2021 – to apply for funding please click here
