Released: 19 July, 2006
Direct Enquiries supports the “Changing Places” campaign, launched because family carers are forced to change people on dirty toilet floors.
A new national campaign, Changing Places was today launched at the Tate Modern, to tackle the problem faced by over 40,000 people across the UK caused by the lack of fully accessible public toilets.
Many people with profound and multiple learning disabilities need support to use the toilet, or require the use of a height adjustable changing bench where a carer can safely change their continence pad. They also need a hoisting system so they can be helped to transfer safely from their wheelchair to the toilet or changing bench. Changing Places toilets provide this essential equipment, as well as plenty of space for the disabled person and up to two carers.
Direct Enquiries is supporting the campaign by providing information about those locations providing changing rooms. Users of Direct Enquiries will find information about these facilities on each of the locations' registrations, which can also be accessed below.
Direct Enquiries will also be adding relevant questions and information to their access audits and action plans, helping raise awareness of this issue to the thousands of locations currently on the register.
The Changing Places campaign calls for more ‘Changing Places’ toilets to be installed in all big public places, including city centres, shopping malls and arts venues. Without these facilities, carers are often forced to change family members who have profound and multiple learning disabilities on a dirty toilet floor with little or no privacy. However the alternative is to limit outings to a couple of hours or to not go out at all.
The launch of the campaign also unveiled the new symbol for Changing Places toilets (see above), as well as a new website www.changing-places.org
The campaign is being run by the Changing Places consortium, which includes Mencap, PAMIS, Nottingham City Council, Dumfries and Galloway Council, the Department of Health Valuing People Support Team and the Scottish Executive Same as You Team.
The campaign is supported by Direct Enquiries.
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Notes to Editors
Directenquiries.com, was set up as the Nationwide Disabled Access Register in 2002 in partnership with RADAR (Royal Association for Disability and Rehabilitation) and The Employers' Forum on Disability. During the past 12 months the information available has grown to include access for parents with pushchairs as well as the general public. This allowed directenquiries.com to rebrand as The Nationwide Access Register in January 2006.
Directenquiries.com is the only UK directory specifically designed for companies to showcase their disabled access and other facilities. On average, directenquiries.com receives over 1.3 million hits each month from people looking for businesses, organisations and services with the disabled access they require. Registration is only £35 per year, per location, for which companies receive the following:
- Nationwide registration on directenquiries.com detailing company name, address and other contact details, including links to their website, should they have one
- Access to the Action Plan
- A “More Information” section, equivalent to five pages of A4, updateable on a daily basis. This allows businesses to include information on forthcoming additions or changes to their disabled access as well as useful information about their business in general
- Feedback facility to provide customer comments and opinions
For users, directenquiries.com provides a full directory service for UK companies detailing the access and facilities available at those registered with directenquiries.com. The register currently includes disabled access information on leading high street names such as Boots, LloydsTSB, Argos, Gap, John Lewis, Sainsbury’s, Asda, Costa Coffee, Pizza Express, PC World and Waterstone’s as well as thousands of small and independent businesses. The disabled access information encompasses everything from parking, entrances, lifts, toilets, counter heights, wheelchair and pushchair access to staff assistance and auxilliary aids such as Braille, large print and induction loops.
For further information, images and interviews please contact us on 01344 360101 or e-mail press@directenquiries.com
www.directenquiries.com