The Changing Spaces Campaign

Changing tables make it easy for caregivers to change babies’ diapers in a clean and safe way. But most changing tables in public restrooms have a 20 lb. weight limit. So what happens when disabled children grow up? Teens and adults with a wide range of disabilities may have difficulty using the bathroom on their own and require assistance from a caregiver. Basic public restrooms are often inadequate, leaving them with limited options: staying home altogether or using the floor of a public restroom, which is unhygienic and unsafe.

The U.K.’s disability movement Changing Places has made restrooms more accessible for individuals with disabilities through the use of height-adjustable, adult-sized changing tables and lifts. The campaign has created a map of the accessible toilets that are available to help people who are in need plan their trips. 

What is the Changing Spaces Campaign?

This idea has been gaining traction in the United States in recent months, with the Changing Spaces campaign bringing awareness to the widespread need for adult-sized changing tables and lifts. The Changing Spaces campaign is supported by such disability organizations as:

• Service Providers Association of Developmental Disabilities (SPADD)
• United Cerebral Palsy (UCP) of Georgia &
• Max-Ability

These new restrooms are being advocated for and installed across the country at a rapid pace. In Tuscon, Arizona mothers Amy Weaton and Marianne Scott are fighting to get a state law passed  requiring any newly constructed buildings, or public buildings pursuing bathroom updates over $10,000, to install these changing tables that adults can fit on. As of March 2019, this is still a hopeful campaign that many parents and teachers in the area support.

The Changing Spaces Facebook page allows caregivers and individuals with disabilities to share their passion for making public restrooms more accessible to them through stories, resources, and collaboration.