Fully accessible toilet installed in Brean as part of national campaign

Changing Places Toilets are hoping to install a fully accessible toilet in every public place in the country

Author: Jess PaynePublished 21st Aug 2024

A new fully accessible toilet is now available to people with disabilities in Brean, as part of a nationwide campaign.

The new toilet on Somerset's coast is part of the Changing Places Toilets capmpaign.

It provides a wider range of equipment and more space than a standard accessible toilet.

People with profound and multiple learning disabilities or with physical disabilities such as spinal injuries, muscular dystrophy and multiple sclerosis often need extra equipment and space to allow them to use the toilets safely and comfortably.

Changing Places Toilets provides the necessary equipment for people with profound learning disabilities and physical disabilities as well as their carers.

The charity are hoping to build a toilet in every public space in the country, to make them fully accessible to all people.

"The whole reason we campaign for this is because it's unacceptable to be changing our loved ones on toilet floors, in cramped space, in horrific conditions and without these a lot of our users have to purposefully dehydrate themselves and go up to 12 hours without accessing the toilet," said Karen Hoe, who manages the campaign.

"There's over 250,000 people who are dependent on these toilets - for their dignity, their privacy and to be hygienic.

"To be able to use something that is safe, clean, fit for purpose and where they can have all of their needs met is absolutely vital."

"We've been very fortunate now there's just over 2,500 of these toilets across the whole of the UK but it's never enough when you think there's a thousand toilets alone in Wembley Stadium.

"We're desperately trying to get more."

People with disabilities can find where the Changing Places toilets are, including the new one in Brean, on this interactive map.

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