Changing Places toilets to be compulsory in new public buildings

The government has made Changing Places toilets compulsory in new buildings, meaning more than 250,000 severely disabled people will have greater access to public places.

Changing Places toilets are larger accessible toilets for severely disabled people, with equipment such as hoists, curtains, adult-sized changing benches and space for carers. A major change to building rules in England will require thousands of large (12m2) and well-equipped accessible toilet facilities to be designed and built into new public buildings, from next year.

The government estimates it will add the toilets to more than 150 new buildings a year. To help with this, £30 million fund to install Changing Places in existing buildings will open in the next few months.

There are more than 1,400 Changing Places toilets in the UK, up from just 140 in 2007, but more are needed to support more than a quarter of a million people who need them in the UK.

Lord Greenhalgh, minister for Building Accessability, said: "For too long, the lack of Changing Places toilets has meant that severely disabled people have faced severe difficulties in attending public places. Changing Places toilets give disabled people and their carers the space and equipment they need to have the confidence to leave their homes and go out.

"We are making the installation of these toilets compulsory in hundreds of new public buildings in years to come to help bring major, life enhancing freedoms to the more than 250,000 people who need them."