How Adult Changing Tables Support Accessibility and Personal Freedom

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18 Oct How Adult Changing Tables Support Accessibility and Personal Freedom

For people with disabilities and their direct support professionals, simply going out in public can feel stressful and unwelcoming. Spaces like stadiums, rest stops, and even government buildings, can appear to be accessible given the ramps and lifts already installed- however, when it comes time to use the restroom with dignity like everyone else, the consideration seems to end at the bathroom door.

New York-based CP Unlimited – a provider of comprehensive supports for people with disabilities – is also a strong advocate for persons who are differently able across the state. Self-advocates supported by the agency were the inspiration behind a new bill requiring height-adjustable adult changing tables in large public venues and administrative buildings: The Traveling with Dignity Act. If passed in the New York legislature, where the bill will soon be reintroduced for voting, the bill will play a significant role in improving accessibility for all in the Empire State.

1. How Adult Changing Tables Support Accessibility and Advocacy

What is an adult changing table?

An adult changing table, also known as a nursing changing bench, is a changing table specifically for older children and adults. The height-adjustable feature makes the table accessible for everyone, including children with a disability, veterans, seniors, or others who use wheelchairs. It is designed to increase safety, comfort, and dignity for both the user and the caregiver. Multiple types of changing tables are available with different features, including:

  • Folding adult changing tables intended to maximize space
  • Mobile adult changing tables that can be moved as needed
  • Changing tables with adjustable headrests
  • Height-adjustable models that allow for safer transfers, and enable caregivers to provide assistance at the correct ergonomic height

 

Why is there a need for adult changing tables in public spaces?

While there are handicap-accessible stalls, as per the Americans with Disabilities Act, the lack of a changing table still means people who cannot change themselves have nowhere to clean up and remain part of the event they planned to attend. Without a table, they are limited to how long they can stay at a ballgame, rally, concert, or meeting because they are on a time limit as dictated by their restroom visit.

Due to the lack of changing tables, people with disabilities often have to be changed on the floor of public restrooms. These situations are not only dehumanizing, they’re uncomfortable and unsafe for these individuals and their caregivers. The Traveling with Dignity Act is a crucial step toward providing accessible and dignified restroom solutions, enabling people with disabilities and their families to spend time in public like anyone else.

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2. Making Accessible Restrooms the Standard

More often than not, modern public restrooms present numerous obstacles for people with mobility challenges. At the most basic level, restrooms should have doorways and floorspace with adequate clearance for mobility devices – however, that is not always the case. The following are some additional features that should be the “norm” to improve accessibility in public restrooms:

  • Grab bars help people with mobility challenges maneuver throughout the space, especially when they do not have assistance.
  • Low toilets make for easier wheelchair transfers
  • Anti-slip flooring to prevent injuries
  • Wheelchair-accessible sink provides easier access for those with mobility devices
  • Adult changing table for individuals who require bathroom assistance

Learn more about Patient Safety products and the CP Unlimited mission.

3. How Accessible Equipment Eases the Burden for Caregivers

When faced with a scenario where no accessible restrooms are available, caregivers are forced to place their loved one in an unsanitary, undignified situation. Being changed on the floor or in a car trunk as an older child or adult is something no one deserves, and it also presents physical challenges for the caregiver.

A nursing changing table (like those from Patient Safety USA) allows for easier transfers from wheelchairs and mobility devices, particularly with height-adjustable models that can be lowered and raised as needed. Providing care at this raised position reduces the risk of injury by eliminating the need for bending over. Further, safety rails keep users safe during the changing process, especially for those who tend to move around. Being able to access these devices in public spaces reduces the physical burden of maneuvering on the floor or a small car, and the emotional burden of a less-than-ideal situation.

CP Unlimited is dedicated to supporting people with disabilities, advocating for their needs, and providing a range of supports for people 18+. Learn more about what they do.

4. Why Inclusive Public Spaces Matters for Everyone

Designing inclusive public spaces isn’t just catering to those with mobility challenges. The concept of accessibility is intended to apply to everyone, recognizing that each individual is unique – and therefore, has unique needs that should be recognized. Children, seniors, those with visual impairments, and many others can benefit from this improved infrastructure in public spaces.

Patient Safety is dedicated to ensuring that public restrooms are designed with all people in mind, and installing adult changing tables is just one important step in this process. But we cannot influence change without legislative support, which is why bills like the Traveling with Dignity Act (and the bill’s sponsors, like NYS Senators Peter Harckham and Rob Rolison, and NYS Assembly person Chris Burdick) are essential to creating more inclusive spaces.

 

5. Community-Centered Advocacy

Since its beginnings in 1946, CP Unlimited has been dedicated to amplifying the voices of people with disabilities and their caregivers. The organization was created by a group of parents of children with cerebral palsy, and today supports more than 1,000 adults in New York City and the state’s Hudson Valley via a 2,200+ person team. Their work extends to comprehensive residential, day habilitation, and Article 16 supports alongside an advocacy arm to help influence and pivot policy to better recognize direct care staff and deepen accessibility in communities across its network and beyond.

The Traveling with Dignity Act is just one example of community-driven change led by CP Unlimited. Other recent efforts include organizing rallies of the “CP Unlimited family” to advocate for a 3.2% Cost of Living Allowance and $4,000 Direct Wage Enhancement for direct support professionals across the state.

As a partner of CP Unlimited, Patiently Safety USA supports these efforts by providing equipment like changing tables, wheelchair sinks, height-adjustable counters, and more, which help increase accessibility in public buildings.

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6. Creating Inclusive Spaces Where Children Can Thrive

In conversations about accessibility, children are often overlooked – but Patient Safety provides products that help children thrive, too. Patient Safety’s changing tables for children reduce risk for caregivers by providing safer transfers and enabling adults to conduct changing at the correct ergonomic height. Safety rails keep children safe while the changing table is in use.

CP Unlimited has a history of advocating for children with disabilities: as mentioned previously, the organization was founded by a group of parents advocating for children with cerebral palsy. Advocating for the needs of persons with disabilities is an important part of their mission to this day and four of their self-advocates were recently honored with a proclamation by NYS Senator Peter Harckham.

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