In thinking my friend shouldnt have to change her baby on filthy, toilet floors ??

[Triooooooooooo]

He's 13......but lets face it, they're always our babies.

He's profoundly disabled and wears nappies, he will wear nappies for the rest of his life, he will need all personal care needs taken care of for the rest of his life which is bad enough, I can't think of anything worse than having this happen on a filthy, cold, toilet floor.

The r's no argument in the fact that things need to change, just one changing place in each town would make a massive difference to the lives of people like my friend and her son, i'm sure most of the people who have clicked on this thread can spare a few seconds to sign this petition and show a little support to societies most vulnerable.

www.changing-places.org/news/changing_places_campaign_petitions_decision_makers.aspx

I totally agree. I can't see the petition (but am on a phone) so I'll have a better look this evening to find it.

Thank you for sharing this.

Completely. It would help if the link was 'clickable' though so I've done it for you :)
www.changing-places.org/news/changing_places_campaign_petitions_decision_makers.aspx

why do you say on a filthy dirty toilet floor most public toilets are cleaned on a regular basis and disabled toilets are not used as often as other ones so generally tend to have more room and are cleaner, and surely a folding baby changing mat or a towel carried around with her would give her son a little comfort but will sign the petition

issey how many 'baby changing mats' do you know that would accommodate a 13 year old???

I'd like to sign, but can't see where to do so on the website. Help?

No I totally agree with you OP.

The toilet floors in disabled toilets are very often filthy. I am disabled and am often disgusted at the state of them and do complain about them. They are often soaking wet and you have no clue whether that is water or urine. I hate walking on them and feel incredibly sorry for anyone who has to kneel or lie on them. It's 2015, fgs, this should have been addressed years ago.

It isn't as easy as just carrying a mat around though issey. 13 Year olds aren't small a lot who are in this situation will need be unable to walk/hold their own body weight so without adapted toilets it can be close on impossible to change them

No-one should have to be changed on a floor, a mat or a towel doesn't make it acceptable, would you be happy to lie on the floor in a public toilet? Have you ever tried rolling a 13/14/15 year old or an adult in order to get a clean pad underneath them whilst you are on the floor? It is hard enough on a decent changing bed. I signed the campaign ages ago and will continue to campaign for equal rights.

I think one of the petitions has already gone through but there is a campaign running to ask that all motorway services have toilet/changing facilities for everyone here

Disabled toilets are cleaned less often as their percieved to have less traffic, the bins are also emptied less frequently as they don't get filled as quickly (( the vast majority of people don't wear nappies past the age of 5 )) so those bins full of adult waste can sit festering for weeks, the smell in the summer is hideous.

Imagine lifting a full sized adult who's a dead weight and cannot support themselves onto the floor and then having to get themselves back in their chairs, don't even get me started on the back problems facing many carers in the years down the line.

It restricts the day to day life of thousands of people in this country and should not be happening in 2015.

The one I changed my 8 year old on yesterday. He had a towel to lie on but parts of his body were directly on the floor and I had to kneel right next to the toilet.

missed out was filthy.

Our local library has an adult changing table in the disabled loo, excellent idea to have at least one available in town centres. I'd never considered what carers did before. Thanks for raising this issue OP.

Yanbu atall.

A floor is still a floor.

Might be mopped once twice a day, but people walk in muck then onto these floors, not to mention how some people manage to make mess just going to the loo.

A clean and comfortable surface in a cubicle can't cost much and would make some already challenging lives a little easier when on the go.

I have this problem when out with DD and have many friends who also need this type of facility for their DCs. Anyone who doesn't have or know someone with a severely disabled child has no idea how restricting a day out can be without facilities like these.
In order to change DD, we need a hoist and somewhere height adjustable to lie her (to save our backs). We used one of these facilites when visiting Hull whilst staying in Bridlington. It meant we could spend a whole day out rather than having to rush back to our holiday cottage. WHen we came out from using the facility there was someone else waiting to use it - so clearly a need.

DD is too big to lift out of her wheelchair now without a hoist so changing her on the floor of a disabled toilet (dirty or otherwise) is no longer an option.

I was only thinking this yesterday. I changed DD (23 mo) in a changing facility in service station, the changer had a Max weight of 50lb. I suddenly wondered how you manage with older disabled children and how difficult it must be. I'll have a look at that link.

Thanks for posting. Of course disabled children / teenagers and adults deserve the dignity of suitable changing facilities. It is a disgrace that this isn't a matter of law.

This is brilliant! I had nowhere to change my young baby a few weeks ago. I commented on there being no baby change or accessible toilet... I assumed each establishment had to provide one by law! Obviously I was wrong. So not only would you not have a changing station,you would have had to freshen up your dc in the middle of a busy restaurant. Shocking.

Slight aside here but where does your friend live?

I'm finding that more and more FE colleges have a range of toilet facilities with hoists and showers.

I know they are not all conveniently located in shopping areas, just a thought that a call to a college might open up a possibility.

Yes, changing places for disabled people should be available every where.

Here you can write your own messages to MP's:
www.changing-places.org/get_involved/take_action/write_to_the_government.aspx

www.facebook.com/pages/Changing-Places/300242193335506?fref=ts

Very often hospitals don't even have appropriate changing.

I work as a planning consultant on big developments and have successfully got two CP toilets included in my projects so far. They are a lifeline for families with disabled children and adults and for some elderly people.

For those interested, the cost to install is c£5k and they can be retrofitted but a load bearing beam is required in the vicinity for the hoist so it is best if they are planned at the outset. The issue that usually needs to be overcome is space. In such places as supermarkets, floor space is at a massive premium, and a CP toilet requires a larger floor area than standard accessible facilities.