The town alleged to be the best place in Britain to live is now even better, especially if you are disabled….
Solihull, in the heart of England, has opened a state-of-the-art assisted accessible toilet at its prestigious Touchwood Shopping Centre. The Changing Places suite means that anyone who would need the help of a carer to go to the toilet when away from home now has suitable and appropriate facilities for their personal hygiene.
Conveniently located in the Centre’s Orange welcome hall, by Shopmobility, the Changing Places – supplied & installed by Closomat – gives more space than conventional wheelchair-accessible toilets, and additional equipment, including a ceiling track hoist and adult-sized height adjustable changing bench. The Changing Places is open from 7.00am-midnight Monday-Saturday and 9.00am-midnight Sunday.
Going shopping, enjoying a meal or a drink out are activities most of us take for granted, explained Touchwood general manager Andy Cole. But if you have profound or multiple disabilities, or need someone to help you go to the toilet, these pleasures become difficult, if not impossible, because conventional wheelchair accessible toilets are not big enough, or do not have the equipment you need.
Changing Places campaigner Tony Clough approached us, and helped us understand what a difference inclusion of a suitable toilet would make to tens of thousands of people who could visit Touchwood, and enjoy its 80+ shops, 20+ restaurants and bars….
Adds Tony,
We go to the toilet on average eight times a day. If you need help with your personal hygiene, even a simple trip to the shops becomes curtailed, or you can’t go at all. Changing Places toilets mean millions of people across the UK can do things many of us take for granted, without worrying about whether there are suitable toilets available.
Under latest building guidelines and legislation, Changing Places toilets are now ‘desirable’ in any building to which the public has access. Since the concept was devised, some 800 have been opened in venues across the country. Closomat has a proven track record in the supply and installation of fully
accessible toilets,including a substantial number of Changing Places facilities. It is unique in its ability to deliver – in-house –design advice,
supply, installation,commissioning,project management and maintenance across the ambit of accessible toileting equipment, including the Closomat wash and dry (automatic) toilet. To help architects and providers get it right, Closomat has a raft of downloadable information on its website, www.closomat.co.uk, including sector-specific white papers, CAD blocks, room renders and videos.
