Friday 19 July is Changing Places Awareness Day and to celebrate Cornwall now has five new Changing Places facilities available to use, with the final one in Wadebridge opening this month.
A Changing Places toilet is a larger, more accessible toilet for disabled people and their carers whose needs are not met by standard accessible toilets.
Working in partnership with Town and Parish Councils, Cornwall Council received government funding back in 2022 to deliver the new facilities and by the end of the month, all 6 will be open and in use by the public.
Cllr Carol Mould, cabinet member for neighbourhoods, said:
“It’s fantastic to see these high-quality facilities now open and being used by residents. It means that visiting Cornwall’s beautiful beaches, countryside and high streets is a lot more accessible for disabled people and their carers.
“I’d like to thank all of the people involved, the Town and Parish Councillors, ward members, contractors and council officers who have all helped bring these plans into fruition, it really has made such a difference to communities across Cornwall.”
The six new facilities are now open in:
· Falmouth (managed by Falmouth Town Council)
· Truro, one next to bus station and the other in Boscawen Park (managed by Truro City Council)
· Seaton (managed by Deviock Parish Council)
· St Ives (managed by St Ives Town Council)
· Wadebridge (managed by Wadebridge Town Council)
A local resident of Deviock, Katherine Kowalski recently spoke about what the facility has meant for her and her son:
"Many people don’t realise that standard ‘accessible’ toilets are actually inaccessible for hundreds of thousands of disabled people, including my 12-year-old son.
“Without a Changing Places Toilet, this means having to be changed on toilet floors or in the back of a car. Not only is this uncomfortable and unhygienic, it puts us all at risk of injury because there is no hoist for lifting. This makes days out incredibly difficult, and often we end up avoiding going out altogether.
"Spending time in nature is essential for wellbeing but there are still so few places where it is possible to do that if you or a family member needs a Changing Places facility. Seaton already offers so much with its flat Country Park trails, convenient parking and ramped access onto the beach - a Changing Places Toilet now makes it truly accessible, and I’d like to thank Deviock Parish Council for making it happen."
Changing Places Awareness day is an opportunity to help raise more vital awareness of the life changing difference Changing Places toilets make to people’s lives across the UK and the world.
More information about what each facility offers, as well as other Changing Places venues across Cornwall can be found on the Changing Places map on their website.