£150,000 funding to build disabled-friendly toilets in Dudley tourist attractions
People with additional needs have welcomed a £150,000 grant to enable Dudley Council to add three specialised toilet and change facilities in the borough.
Facilities will be installed at Dudley Zoo, Black Country Living Museum and the Cornbow Centre in Halesowen by 2024, after the council submitted an application to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities under the Changing Places Toilet Programme fund last July.
Changing Place Toilets are specially designed for people with complex needs and disabilities, including a specialist adult changing bench, hoist facilities, a peninsular toilet, and extra space for carers.
At present, there are seven such facilities for public use in the borough.
Helen Martin, director for regeneration and enterprise, said: “We know that good quality public toilets are very important to anyone visiting attractions and town centres, but for people with additional needs having fit for purpose facilities are a lifeline.
“I am so pleased that our bid was successful and that we will be able to install three new units that cater for people with additional and complex needs
“We continue to work with groups and partners to look at ways of providing facilities for people with a disability."
Walsall Council will also receive £300,000 to build seven Changing Places Toilets and Sandwell will receive £60,000 to build one.
Sandwell Council is building their toilet in West Bromwich, while Walsall is building the facilities in Saddlers Centre, Walsall Arboretum visitor centre, Darlaston Town Hall, the Brownhills Community Association, Bloxwich Library, the Aina Hub in Caldmore, and the Old Hall People’s Partnership Activity Centre.
Currently, over 250,000 severely disabled people do not have access to public toilet facilities that meet their needs, and carers may otherwise have to resort to changing someone on a public toilet floor.
People that need facilities include people with profound and multiple learning disabilities, muscle-wasting conditions, motor neurone disease, multiple sclerosis and cerebral palsy, as well as people who have suffered major physical trauma, had a head injury or stroke as well as some older people.
The programme is being delivered in partnership with the charity Muscular Dystrophy UK, co-chairs of the Changing Places Consortium, who will be supporting local authorities in their delivery.
