The Internet is a Funny Place

The internet is a funny place. It brings all sorts of debates and opinions and causes a good few arguments.

This week there has been a few articles which I read.

I read the comments and then I had to walk away from the computer.

It still amazes me how worked up people get over baby changing facilities and parent and toddler parking spaces.

Yes, I am a mother, yes I have had a baby and a toddler at the same time and yes I am a mother to a child with an intellectual disability as well as a physical one and finally, YES, I am sick of having to highlight what my world is like but here I go, again…

I am amazed at all the comments demanding that those without young children be fined for using the car spaces and that the disabled bathrooms should be move inclusive to babies.

I think when you’re in the trenches of early motherhood these things seem and feel like huge injustices but really, they are not.

In what will be a blink of an eye there will be no more bums to change and everyone will be able to buckle themselves in.

That’s the bottom line, babies don’t stay babies forever…well, generally speaking, they don’t.

Baby changing facilities are in my experience, always in the disabled bathroom, which makes littles sense.

Being or having a baby isn’t a disability; it’s hard, yes- but it is not a disability.

What would make more sense to me and I am sure to a lot of parents currently having to change their babies bum in public is to let them do it on the floor of a public toilet…

Ahh, Now that caught your attention!

Yet, I am expected to change my disabled son on a public toilet floor but those with babies are expected to change their babies in the disabled toilet on a bench suited to their tiny baby’s needs?

And let me be honest, it’s at a nice height which won’t have mammy or daddy hunching over said baby.

Does that actually make any sense – mammy or daddy use a separate toilet then queue to use a disabled toilet so they can change their baby?

Yet, those like my son, with a physical disability, queue to use the disabled bathroom so they can be changed on the floor?

While their mammy or daddy’s back breaks for the millionth time that day.

No one should have to be changed on any floor anywhere.

Why not have a changing facility for babies in the same toilets that their parents use?

Place a small bench in both male and female toilets so babies can be changed- put it in a cubicle with a little extra space for buggy and there you have it-a changing area in every public male/female/unisex toilet.

Isn’t it time those with physical disabilities have access to proper equipped public toilets?

Where is the outcry from the public over this?

I can never understand why the public don’t seem to care.

None of us are immune to disability nor are we immune to a physical disability.

And now to the parking spaces- one comment on that thread was that those with the blue parking badge should not avail of these spaces if they don’t have a child.

This comment made my blood boil.

I agree with parking spaces for young kids, it’s damn hard when they are young but again it’s not forever.

Should someone be fined for pulling into one without a child?

Well, if Joe public can use a disabled spot because he only needs a loaf of bread and he doesn’t get fined, then why in the world would the same Joe public demand a person using a space for young families get fined for parking while not having a child?

It makes no sense to me!

Disabled spaces are abused every single day of the week.

Disabled toilets are unsuitable, unfit for purpose and are basically glorified baby changing areas.

Isn’t it time these things change?

Isn’t it time that a baby can be changed by either parent in a public bathroom without going anywhere near a disabled bathroom?

Isn’t it time a disabled parking space is used solely by those with blue badges and that those family spaces are used by those who need them not those who need the convenience of them?

Couldn’t family spaces be further away from the door to the shop?

It’s about the bigger, wider space rather than the distance after all.

There are solutions to all these debates; one voice-one public voice demanding baby changing facilities to get out of the disabled toilets and parking spaces to be respected.

Hopefully one day soon, I won’t have to lay my son on a public toilet floor to change him…and I will be able to use the disabled parking space because Joe public decided to park in a space not quite as ‘handy’ for him.

For more information on Changing Spaces please click here

The Christmas Party

There isn’t an email going around the office. There isn’t talk about who’s wearing what while dodging the boss.

There isn’t last years gossip floating above the crowded canteen making everyone anticipate this years gossip.

I miss it.

I miss the work Christmas party.

I miss the build up to it, the let down of it and the remorse of it all!

I even miss the hangover and the irrational fear that overcomes you when get in the next day.

There’s a social isolation that comes with being a full time carer, one that I’ve gotten used to over the years but Christmas seems to bring it to the forefront.

The isolation is more obvious. There is no Christmas parties for those of us who are carers. It would be a lonely old party if there were, I suppose.

What do people who work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year do at Christmas?

Well, most do the same thing they do all year round.

Others are lucky and get a break, get a bit of respite and get to go to their partners Christmas party or plan a night out, if they have the energy.

I am in the lucky bracket. I get respite in the build up to Christmas. I don’t get respite over the Christmas holidays but I do get to go out and enjoy some Christmas festivities. I get a break from my caring role.

I don’t have a workplace anymore nor do I have that many friends, to be honest.

I gatecrashed my husbands Christmas party, gatecrashed is not really the right word,I was invited but it’s not the same when you don’t work there (hence the feeling of being a gatecrasher) I did enjoy it and found my husbands workmates to be the friendliest bunch of people I’ve met in a long time.

Gathering friends to have a drink over the Christmas is a tricky thing,as they are all busy with their own Christmas duties and parties to attend.

I have limited free time, even with respite there’s never enough time. Sounds familiar to everyone,eh?

I often sit and think of the carers who aren’t as lucky as I am.

I think of the million reasons I don’t want to go out for a catch up or a coffee especially over Christmas.

Then I think of those carers.

The ones who don’t get asked anymore, the ones who simply can’t, the ones who don’t get respite and the ones who feel that Christmas is a spectators season.

I feel guilty sometimes that I have respite. I see so many carers without any and my heart breaks for them. It took us five years to get respite so I do know how hard it is to get; I also know how those of us who get respite feel ‘lucky’ to have it.

Fundamentally; every single carer on this island should have access to respite.

Everyone needs time off, a break, a rest…

For those of you who had or have a friend who is a carer, that friend you haven’t seen in months, even years…or a family member who can never attend a family gathering, I implore you to reach out this Christmas.

I know it takes two to communicate.

I know that they’ve shown no (apparent) interest and I know the millions of reasons why you can’t or why you’d find it hard but take it from this carer, who is very lucky to still have friends and family members that call, it matters.

That carer misses you.

They’d like to see you.

They wish they could see you but as hectic as your own life is (everyone’s is) they really, really don’t have the time to arrange and ultimately rearrange meetups.

They can’t nip in the car and spin out to you, not without organising and planning …it’s a different world, it’s a much more difficult world to live in.

It’s a world which most of you will never have to be part of yet, anyone can join.

No one is excluded, no one gets a ‘pass’- anyone can become a carer, even you.

No one is asked if they’d like to be a carer, people become carers due to love, nothing else. They are motivated by love, strengthened by love, paid with love and do it all over again and again because of love.

That carer who doesn’t get a break, who doesn’t show up to anything -they can’t, they simply can’t.

I know that’s hard to understand, especially when you’ve been inviting them and including them.

I think of these carers over the year but I admit, at Christmas I think of them more often.

Carers who are lucky to get the respite,(however little or however much,it’s all relative) still get lonely over Christmas, they still feel left out. I still feel lonely and left out- imagine how those with no respite feel?

So,my little wish this Christmas is for those of you who have a carer in your circle or family to call out, send a quick message or make a quick phone call and tell them you are coming to see them.

Trust me, they are just as nervous of you calling as you are of making that reconnection, but neither of you will regret it.

And to my not so many friends, thank you for including me for all these years, thank you for calling out to me and thank you for planning events around respite, I am very lucky x

GoTo Fly: Virgin Airlines Australia Approval

As a parent of a strong warrior with additional needs, you soon learn to become a proud advocate. We are a family of four based in Melbourne, Australia and like so many other families around the world, our life changed dramatically the moment we received our daughter’s diagnosis.

Chiara is now five years old, I’m in awe of her strength of spirit and determination. Due to a rare brain condition, Chiara us unable to walk, talk and has a limited life expectancy. Yet the power of her potential is so much more than any diagnosis states, and I’ll always honour that as her parent.

I’ve blogged for years and advocated for her best life, yet the biggest example of the power of advocacy was with Virgin Airlines Australia and our favourite GoTo seat.

It all started just before take-off, Chiara was seated comfortably in the GoTo seat and as a family we were all relaxed and ready for the flight ahead. Then a staff member asked us to remove her from the GoTo seat.

We explained her medical and physical situation, that she was unable to sit by herself and required lateral supports to hold her body in an upright position. However due to compliance regulations we were not able to use the GoTo seat. As a result we had to hold Chiara for the duration of the flight.

So, our GoTo seat remained empty for the entire flight (aside from a furry friend – daughter’s toy) and we had to manage holding Chiara for the duration of the flight, which meant dealing with strong muscle tone and a frustrated little girl who just wanted to sit on her own.

The impact of this created so much unnecessary stress for our family, but most of all Chiara.

It might not look like much from an outsider’s view, but when you have to lift, carry, feed, change and all the other care required in raising a beautiful child with extensive physical and medical needs, it can be exhausting.

So, when situations like these arise, it’s so much more than ‘sorry, that seat is not allowed’. It’s the frustration and the lack of awareness and support for families and children living with a disability.

It’s the fact that many parents are up all night attending to their child’s complex needs. It’s the reality that parents are already dealing with a huge amount of extra requirements for their child. Let alone the freedom that the GoTo allows for children to be in their own space comfortably.

On the return flight staff supplied a harness, however it did not support Chiara’s body, her head flopped forward and there were no lateral supports to hold her upright.

Again, extra stress placed upon a child who is already dealing with so much in their day-to-day.

The only support I had ever seen Chiara fully supported in on a flight, was the GoTo seat, and I wasn’t about to give up on the possibility of having her access it in the future when flying. I became a mum on a mission to start a conversation about accessible travel, because if anyone was going to take it on, it would be someone as innovative as Virgin Airlines.

I shared my experience on social media, along with photos to highlight the need for the GoTo and just how beneficial it is. There were hundreds of responses to my original post from families sharing photos of their children and the struggles they also experienced when flying.

I was shocked to hear that many families said they didn’t even consider flying, simply because of the seating issues.

I was so thankful to hear back from Virgin Airlines who read my social media post and invited our family to their head office to discuss further. There were many phone calls and emails. I was told that it was going to be really difficult to get any kind of approval, many people suggested it would be impossible.

Yet I never let it stop me, I kept thinking about Chiara and how happy she was to be able to sit independently with the GoTo seat, something that most of us take for granted. I also thought about families who never travelled simply due to the seating issues for their children, and I continued to advocate and educate wherever I could.

Six months after my original post, and many emails and calls in between, I received a phone call from Virgin Airlines Australia that the GoTo seat had been approved. I literally burst into tears, it’s so much more than just a seat or just a flight.

It’s the way in which the world literally opens up for so many of us and our children.

Since Virgin Airlines Australia’s approval of the GoTo seat, my inbox has been flooded with messages from families who are booking their first holiday ever, simply because of this change. What a powerful impact, that families can travel with a lot more support, ease and flow.

Thank you again to Firefly for creating the GoTo seat, it’s literally opening up the world for so many!

GoTo Shop – Good News!

We at Firefly, along with our amazing community, have been hard at work behind the GoTo Shop Campaign – and we have some fantastic updates we want to share with you.

For anyone not familiar with the GoTo Shop Campaign – let us catch you up!

The Firefly GoTo Shop Cart which has transformed shopping trips for special needs families in over 3,500 UK stores, is now available for distribution in the US, Europe, Australia and Canada.

As you will be well aware, we have a strong community at Firefly and parents are continuously sharing the challenges they face with everyday tasks, like grocery shopping.

The GoTo Shop has been designed to make shopping trips easier for parents and carers of young children with disabilities.

The shopping cart seat includes a secure and adjustable 5-point harness, adjustable head and lateral support, a soft padded seat and an open front for easy transfer.

Parents who have used the cart in the UK have commented on the social benefits of the face-to-face interaction they get with their child – and the smiles on the faces of the kids we get photos of never fail to brighten our day – it makes us realise how badly the GoTo Shop is needed!

Over the past few months we’ve also been working with two leading retailers in the USA and a one in Australia, trying to get the GoTo Shop into their stores. We’ve found that retailers are now asking for social proof.

This is why we need you to keep sharing and tagging your local stores on our Facebook page!

In recent weeks we have had some pretty exciting news for the campaign.

The GoTo Shop has made its way to Greece, France and Germany – which is pretty awesome right?

Not only that but our Firefly Friends in the UK can now request the GoTo Shop in another major retailer.

ALDI are now behind the GoTo Shop Campaign! Just go and ask for one at your local store.

There is still so much potential for this campaign, so we are calling on you our wonderful community to keep up the hard work with your campaigning.

If your local store doesn’t have a GoTo Shop download our leaflet here and bring it to your local store manager. Together we can make a difference!

Want to get involved in the campaign? Head here to find everything you will need.

Let us know your progress – we’re asking for your help, so you can bet we’ll be there to help you with your efforts!

If you require more information, assistance or if you want to let us know your progress feel free to contact Mark at [email protected]

UK Accessible Theme Parks

At Firefly, we know how difficult it can be for some Special Needs families to have a care-free family fun day.

Fortunately, across the UK, some theme parks are adapting to become more inclusive for all families, ensuring every child can have a fun day out.

Paultons Park

Paultons Park, and in particular, “Peppa Pig World”, was designed with disabled users in mind.

As such, the website claims this is why they don’t offer a discounted rate for carers.

The park, based in Ower, Hampshire does, however, offer free entry to guests who are wheelchair or motorised-scooter dependent.

Best of all – you can meet Peppa, George and more!

Accessible toilet and changing facilities are available and assistance dogs are welcome in the grounds.

The site also has a Queue Assist Policy, allowing priority access for guests who cannot queue in addition to wheelchair hire facilities, although these must be pre-booked.

If your child isn’t a Peppa fan there’s a 4-D cinema, stage shows, the dinosaur themed Lost Kingdom and much more – though it should be noted not all of these facilities will be appropriate for everyone.

One new feature, certain to delight everyone is Little Africa, where you can find meerkats, porcupines, lizards and more exciting creatures!

Gulliver’s Theme Parks

Gulliver’s Theme Parks have three different sites across England; Gulliver’s World in Warrington, Gulliver’s Land in Milton Keynes and Gulliver’s Kingdom in Matlock Bath.

One of the great boasts of these parks is their claim that queue times are always low due to the sheer scale of the parks.

This makes it ideal for guests who have difficulty waiting.

The parks still offer a, “Ride Access Pass”, for one guest and three other users. They are well versed in how helpful this can be to families, given the website’s declaration that 1 in 40 guests to the sites are on the autistic spectrum.

In addition, concessions are offered and there are online guides to help families navigate each location’s suitability.

Drayton Manor

In April 2007, a study from the National Autistic Society found that children with autism associate with Thomas the Tank Engine more than any other children’s character.

The study posited that the reason was the simplistic emotions on the faces of the characters.

In years since it’s been theorised that the crashing and smashing of the trains proves engaging, as well as the appeal of the organisational structure of trains.

No wonder parents of children with autism flock to Drayton Manor, which contains Thomas Land.

The park also offers an ‘Easier Access System’ and the service user can also be given a carer card which allows up to 4 carers up through the exits of your 10 chosen attractions.

Flambards

The great thing about Flambards, located in Cornwall, is that they offer free access to wheelchairs throughout the park. However, these are limited so booking is advised.

In addition to this, a fully adjustable changing table is located in one of their four accessible toilets.

Assistant dogs are welcome, and reduced pricing is available for carers and service users.

Pay attention to the website to see what attractions are open on certain days.

NB: All attractions are open during the summer.

Alton Towers

Alton Towers, perhaps, has the most comprehensive accessibility policy of all the UK sites listed.

The guide itself can be found on their website and comes to a full 27 pages! It leads visitors through entering the theme park, ride safety, ear defenders and hearing loops, the first aid centre and everything in between.

There is a diagram dedicated to the restrictions of each ride.

The accommodation at Alton Towers has also been thoroughly thought out when it comes to special needs, including buttons to turn off the colour changing lights and sounds in the lift in CBeebies Land Hotel.

Chessington World of Adventure

Similar to Alton Towers, Chessington World of Adventure also have an Accessibility Guide, which can be found on their website.

This goes through each attraction in the park and lays out the accessibility features in bullet points.

One wristband holding ‘Adventurer’ can bring along between 1-3 carers to use the Ride Access Pass.

These companions can be interchanged throughout the day.

There is a Changing Places toilet in the Pirate’s Cove area of the resort and wheelchairs can be hired.

You can upload documents onto the website as proof to get your Access Pass before you attend.

Thorpe Park

Another UK park with a jam-packed Accessibility Guide is Thorpe Park, and once again, it can be found on their website.

There is a table of information for each area of the park and every amusement’s level of suitability, including the number of steps needed to access each ride.

If you book your tickets online you can still get your free carer’s access, however this is only upon presentation of documentation at the site.

The park also has a Changing Places toilet containing a hoist, adult changing bed, height adjustable sink, shower and toilet.

Legoland Windsor Resort

Legoland proudly claim their site to be designed with the needs of people with disabilities in mind.

As such, they don’t offer discount for attendees with special needs, however, their carer will get free entry upon presentation of documentation.

The website contains a guide for accessibility including lists of rides and their suitability.

A wheelchair pass can be downloaded to the necessary party’s smartphone for quick access to rides.

There are also some wheelchairs available on a first-come-first-served basis.

The resort also encourages any families who feel they may need additional support to contact them before visiting.

Cadbury World

General Manager of Cadbury World, Gerrard Baldwin, is quoted on the website referring to the accessibility of the park; “We strive to offer an inclusive experience for everybody and regularly carry out reviews and risk assessments to ensure the expected high standards are maintained.”

Like many of the other parks on this list, Cadbury World offer free entry to essential carers and adapted amusements and seating.

The Birmingham theme park also has extensive parking in addition to a Changing Places toilet.

Visually impaired visitors are offered touch and feel opportunities throughout the tour, and hearing impaired visitors can take advantage of BSL interpretation screens as well as subtitled videos.

Barry’s Amusements

Barry’s Amusements is one of the gems of Co. Antrim’s North Coast.

Recently, it has joined the list of the amusement parks to add a Changing Places toilet.

That includes the height adjustable adult sized changing bench with hoist, a privacy screen, non-slip flooring and of course an adequate, clean and safe changing space.

It also has an Additional Needs section on its website providing information on their Ride Access Pass for those with social interaction issues.

Sandcastle Waterpark

Sandcastle is the UK’s largest indoor waterpark, and their commitment to accessibility is literally award-winning.

With Changing Places facilities, free water accessible wheelchairs, large print leaflets and menus, braille, videos with subtitles and audio commentary everyone can feel included.

Not only that the waterpark has an autism-friendly quiet room, offers familiarisation visits and a downloadable guide explaining all the sights, sounds, smells, tastes and touches you might experience.

The park also includes a queue fast-track policy and quiet starts for the first hour of every day, and ear defenders.

*Whilst all parks listed are accessible or autism-friendly, we advise calling beforehand to make sure the park will be able to cater for your family’s individual needs.

Time to Push Changing Places to the Next Level

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.

I Took My Pants Down for Disability Equality!

And last week I joined many other parents & carers in London to raise more awareness and take this campaign to the next level.

We’ve had enough of being ignored or having our requests ‘managed’ by promises of trials (Tesco I’m looking at you) and the time has come for major change.

No longer are we happy to allow our disabled loved ones to face such inequality when it comes to using the toilet.

My son, William, is now 9 and he’s getting heavier by the day. If he needs the toilet when we are out and about it is a major ordeal.

I need somewhere to lay him so I can remove his clothing & nappy and some help in lifting him there & then onto the toilet.

But that help doesn’t exist.

In the 10 miles around my home there are 2 changing places toilets so in some ways you could call me ‘lucky’ but they are both in the main town, which doesn’t help when we want to visit our supermarkets or go to the cinema.

A great friend of mine, Sarah Brisdion, organised a sit in with a twist as she called on campaigners from across the country to join her on Baker Street to sit on the loo all day.

So on Friday I joined her and other campaigners from as far afield as Scotland and sit on the loo with my pants round my ankles!

The day started with me forgetting to put on two pairs of pants, not ideal when I was meant to be taking one pair down to sit on the loo!

And then my train got cancelled which left me over an hour late!

Luckily everyone else was far more organised than me and had come fully prepared!

Extra pants were on hand, there were amazing costumes and even cake representing the Bristol Stools chart (if you know, you’ll know!)

The event was great, passers by seemed rather confused at first but were soon educated about the issue and agreed to sign petitions, share photos and use the hashtag #PantsDown4Equality to help raise more awareness.

We were joined by press & news crews who interviewed campaigners and the event was even tweeted about by Adam Hills of The Last Leg fame.

By the end of the day we were all shattered but on a complete buzz, knowing we had done a great job of spreading the word and making people think, not to mention meeting some other amazing people we’d only had the pleasure of speaking to online for the last few years.

So will it make any difference?

Who knows, but the more people who know about how the lack of changing places toilets, with adult sized changing tables and hoists, the better.

If even one business owner saw our campaign and decided to upgrade their facilities then that makes it a success in my eyes.

But on a national scale, what we really need now is government intervention. We need building regulations to be amended so that these facilities are compulsory in large buildings. We need big brands such as Tesco & Sainsburys to stop making excuses, we need cinemas to stop shirking responsibility and we need Joe Public to get behind us and demand equal rights for disabled people.

Here’s how you can help:

Sign this petition.
Get onto twitter and use #PantsDown4Equality to tell your story and call for action.

If you want to see more about the event, I hosted a facebook live from the event which you can watch here.

It’s Time to Talk about Toilets

And strangely enough, that applies to those individuals who are in wheelchairs or have severely limited mobility as well as those who are fully mobile, although you’d be surprised at how many supermarkets, attractions and parks don’t seem to understand this basic fact of life.

Allow me to elaborate.

Sam is fully reliant on his carers for all his intimate care.

He is doubly incontinent and now too tall/heavy for the baby change tables.

He is also almost 7 years old; and cognitively far more intact than most people realise.

He does not want to be changed on the floor of a toilet.

For goodness sake, they even give you a hook for your handbag so it doesn’t have to touch the floor!

It isn’t just uncomfortable; its unhygienic.

Not only that, but most standard disabled toilets aren’t big enough to get his wheelchair, a carer AND Sam in, at the same time.

As Sam grows it becomes more and more difficult to find places to change him; after all, while most people probably wouldn’t be overly shocked to see a baby having a nappy change on a park bench I very much doubt the same would be said if it were a young adult being changed.

Or a not-so-young adult for that matter.

And that is before you consider their dignity, comfort and privacy (the disabled individual that is, not the onlookers).

And yet, it doesn’t have to be this way.

As a good friend stated in her blog (The Inclusive Home), a fully accessible toilet facility doesn’t actually have to be much larger than your average car parking space.

It just needs a changing bench, a hoist, and the obvious sink.

And the difference that having these facilities makes?

It means we can go places as a family.

It means Sam and his fellow superhumans can have the same dignity afforded to them that others take for granted.

So, a huge shout out to Trentham Gardens in Stoke on Trent, Cadbury World in Birmingham, and all the other places that have made the effort to put in a Changing Places facility.

It’s time others followed suit.

Success! Tesco have 1,350 GoTo Shop Trolley’s!

Thanks to our Firefly Community the GoTo Shop campaign is getting bigger and better!

Tesco first trialled the GoTo Shop in July 2015, here we are almost 3 years later and look how far we have come.

There are now 1,350 GoTo Shop trolleys in Tesco stores across the United Kingdom, find all store locations here.

This now takes us to a grand total of 3,500 GoTo Shop trolleys throughout the UK and Ireland – how incredible!

But we aren’t giving up just yet, there’s still lots of campaigning to do – our mission is to see a GoTo Shop trolley in every retail store around the world.

If you want to see a GoTo Shop in your local store, we need you to get involved and let your store know.

You can do this by simply downloading a campaign leaflet and handing it in to your local store manager.

Get involved, get campaigning and together we can make a difference.