One of the UK’s
biggest shopping centres, intu, is giving a new level of customer experience.
intu Merry Hill
has become the latest retail venue to open a Changing Places assisted
accessible toilet, to enable any shoppers who may need help (in terms of carers
or equipment) to go to the loo can do so appropriately, and with dignity.
Without such
toilets, potentially up to 14million people across the UK who need support
either cannot visit a location, have to curtail their trip before they need the
toilet, or face remaining in a soiled condition unless they are changed on the
floor.
Supplied and
installed by Closomat, Britain’s leader in ultra-accessible away from home
toilets, intu Merry Hill’s facility is even bigger than the British Standard
requirement of 3m x 4m. It has all the fixtures specified in the Standard for
Changing Place compliance- including a WC, height adjustable washbasin, ceiling
track hoist, adult-sized height adjustable changing bench, a shower, height
adjustable shower seat and a privacy screen.
The Changing
Places, on the Upper Level near the food court, compliments other accessible
toilets strategically positioned around the mall; it is accessible whenever the
centre is open, via RADAR key.
The Changing
Places facility was officially opened by Neil Davies, chairman at Dudley Voices
for Choice, alongside member Sharon Davies, and project worker Claire Allen.
Dudley Voices for Choice is a user-led charitable organisation, based in
Dudley, that supports people with learning disabilities and autism, many of
whom will benefit from the Changing Places facility.
Neil Davies,
chairman of Dudley Voices for Choice, said: “The new Changing Places in intu
Merry Hill is a welcome addition to the centre, and now people with
disabilities can come along and spend the day here knowing that all of their
needs can be met in one place.”
Naomi Campbell,
community development manager at intu Merry Hill, said: “We want to ensure that
we make intu Merry Hill as accessible and inclusive as we can. This important
new space will ensure that customers who need access to a Changing Places
facility can enjoy a safe and comfortable shopping experience whilst visiting
intu Merry Hill. It’s one of several measures which we are introducing,
including training our staff, to provide welcoming experiences for all.”
Under Building
Regulations and British Standards, a Changing Places toilet is ‘desirable’ in
buildings to which numbers of the public have access. Since their introduction
a decade ago, 1000 have been opened across the UK.
Closomat is Britain’s leading provider of helpful toileting solutions,
at home and away, including Changing Places. Uniquely, the company can provide
an in-house, ‘one- stop-shop’ complete package for ‘away from home’ assisted
accessible toilet facilities, from design and commissioning, through to project
management, supply and installation, and can also provide subsequent
maintenance and repair.
