Scottish Government to spend £10m on more specially equipped toilets for people with disabilities
Around 150 fully accessible Changing Places toilets for people with complex disabilities and health conditions will be created across Scotland thanks to £10 million Scottish Government funding over the next two years.
There are currently around 270 of the specially equipped facilities in Scotland. This is an increase of 30 per cent since 2019 when new legislation required these spaces to be included in large new buildings with public access.
Maree Todd, Mental Wellbeing and Social Care Minister for the Scottish Government, said: “Access to toilet facilities is a fundamental human right.
“This £10 million investment in Changing Places Toilets will make a huge difference to thousands of disabled people and their families and carers as it will enable them to participate fully in society and access community resources – things which most of us take for granted.
“The Fund will be open to all communities in Scotland and will prioritise areas which do not currently have adequate provision.
“Support from local bodies has been, and will continue to be, central to driving this work forward, and we look forward to receiving applications from all over Scotland when the Fund opens in the summer.
Jill Clark, a Glasgow-based Changing Places Toilets user said: “It is really important to have changing places toilets across Scotland because it lets people like myself lead a normal life without worrying about getting access to a toilet everywhere we go!”
Jenny Miller, CEO of PAMIS (Promoting a more inclusive society), said: “PAMIS is delighted that this fund is progressing. It is vital that we ensure that those who need this life changing resource and those who are keen to develop inclusive venues and services are involved in shaping the fund.
“Your insights are key, and we know that for the community PAMIS supports, those with a profound learning and multiple disabilities, the fund will make a huge difference to their inclusion within communities across Scotland.”
Last year an accessible Changing Places toilet was opened at Lancaster Railway Station to ensure disabled people and carers have access to a dedicated space and changing facility while travelling to or from the station.
