Additional Needs

Time to Push Changing Places to the Next Level

Posted by Laura Moore on 30th May 2018 Additional Needs, Advice & Support, Campaigns, Disabilities

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But the time has come to ask for more help - that's where you come in!

You see, for the past 3 or so years, there have been a group of very dedicated campaigners working hard behind the scenes, and sometimes in front of them.

But when it is always the same people asking for change and the same people contacting the press and the media to tell their stories, nothing is going to change.

There are over ¼ million people in the UK who need to use a changing places toilet, but only about 20-30 faces sharing their stories and constantly contacting businesses and services asking for changes.

So we need help!

We need more families to come forward and share their stories, to contact the places they want to go and ask them to install the facilities they need.

To go to the press and get media coverage and of course to tell everyone they know that this is a problem that needs fixing.

Without more voices, this campaign is going to plod on as it has been doing for the last 13 years.

And yes, those 13 years have seen 1104 changing places installed, but do we really want to continue campaigning for one toilet at a time?

If people are seeing different families in the press or hearing different stories on the radio then they might start to realise this isn’t something that only affects 20-30 families, it is a problem on a huge scale and it needs fixing.

So if you are part of a family that needs changing places toilets, or you know someone who does here are 5 things you can do this week to help push this campaign forwards.

1) Share your story on Facebook / Instagram

- Share a photo of the family that need the facility, you don’t have to show your loved one on a toilet floor to give it the human element.

- Explain the problem, share it as though you’re telling the story to someone who has no idea what a changing places toilet is.

- Tag some big campaigners pages such as The Mum On A Mission, Brody, Me & GDD and of course the Changing Places pages

- Use #PantsDown4Equality so we can find your story

- You could even tell your story in a video format to get more interest

2) Contact the press

- Your local paper are pretty much guaranteed to print your story, they are looking for great stories to fill their pages and what better story is there than a story of a family with a disabled person who is being discriminated against!

- Make sure once they have run the story, you then share it online and even forward it to national newspapers to get even more coverage

- You could even consider contacting magazines to share your story.  Real life stories go down so well, and you might even end up being paid or getting a make-over out of it!

3)  Speak to your MP

- Regardless of which political party you support, this is the time to speak to your elected MP and the candidates from other parties too.

- Ask your elected MP to raise the issue in parliament as a matter or urgency

- The candidates from the other parties want your vote, so get their commitment to the changing places campaign in return for that.

You could even ask them to record a video showing their support for the campaign just like this Labour party candidate did recently.

There are lots of other things you can do of course, but hopefully these 3 things will be a great way to start!

And of course, contact other campaigners for ideas and guidance if you need it, I’ll always respond to questions about this.