Mayor of Walsall opens new accessible changing room in Bloxwich

Friday, 22 March 2024 12:13

The Mayor of Walsall has officially opened a new accessible changing room and toilet, one of three coming to the borough.

Mayor of Walsall, Councillor Chris Towe, cut the ribbon of the Changing Places (CP) Toilets at Bloxwich Library on Thursday 21 March at 2pm.

CP toilets provide sanitary accommodation for people with multiple and complex disabilities who, without a suitable changing bench, frequently must be laid on the floor to be changed.

The facilities are fully accessible with a height-adjustable changing bench and hand basin, a hoisting system and a peninsular toilet, with enough space for the disabled person, a wheelchair and two carers.

Two further CP toilets will be opened in the Saddlers Centre and Darlaston Town Hall later this spring.

The installation of these toilets will vastly improve people’s quality of life, allowing disabled people and their assistants to stay out for longer and participate in more activities. Councillor Chris Towe, Mayor of Walsall, said: “These wonderful facilities at Bloxwich Library, The Saddlers Centre and Darlaston Town Hall will serve as safe and hygienic changing facilities for people with significant accessibility needs.

"More than 230,000 people in the UK need personal assistance to use the toilet or change and, without appropriate facilities, often have to get changed on public floor toilets, which is unacceptable.

“These facilities enable people to get out and about and enjoy the day-to-day activities which many of us take for granted."

This programme has been funded by the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in partnership with Muscular Dystrophy UK.

To access the Bloxwich Changing Places facility, people can ask staff at the library reception desk.

To find all changing place toilets across the UK, including Walsall, an interactive map can be found at https://www.changing-places.org/find