Donegal people are being asked to make submissions to a public consultation on the provision of ‘Changing Places’ toilets in the county.
Changing Places facilities offer more space and equipment for people with complex care needs. The accessible toilets, if available, enable people with complex needs to take part in everyday activities such as travel, shopping, family days out or attending a sporting event.
The government has launched a public consultation on the provision of changing areas with toilets in certain large publically accessible buildings such as hospitals, schools, shopping centres and hotels. As many as 80 extra changing areas and places with toilets could be provided nationwide each year if regulations are changed.
The Department of Local Government and Planning would like to hear the views of all members of the public and from all construction and business sectors, and in particular:
- people with disabilities who use changing places toilets
- people who support others to use changing places toilets
- Builders
- Building designers
- Building owners
This public consultation is the culmination of the work of a Working Group established by the Department in December 2020 to examine the provision of a changing areas or a changing places toilet in certain buildings.
“The principles of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) include greater participation in everyday community life and that requires accessible public spaces. Greater access to facilities like changing places allows people with disabilities to access public places such as hospitals, colleges etc but also to access recreational facilities, which are as vitally important,” said Minister of State at the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Anne Rabbitte.
Submissions should be emailed to buildingstandards@housing.gov.
- Draft Building Regulations (Part M Amendment) Regulations 2022
- Draft Technical Guidance Document M – Access and Use 2022
- A Preliminary Regulatory Impact Analysis and
- An easy read consultation document
- Template for submissions – Part M
