DPR News
UCC has installed the first Changing Places Toilet Facility in the county that will be open to the students, staff, the Cork community, and visitors.
Changing places was the brainchild of the late Irish woman and advocate of people with disabilities, Loretto Lamb, along with occupational therapist, Joyce Burns. Changing places allow families, carers and people with complex disabilities to manage their daily occupations of self-care and gives them the opportunity to engage in wider community activities with dignity. The equipment in a Changing Places facility goes beyond what is available in a standard accessible toilet which often does not meet the needs of all people with complex disabilities.
When The Hub was being designed and built in UCC it was proposed that a Changing Places facility be prioritised to support the growing number of students with complex needs coming to UCC. The Changing Places Facility now provides students and their PA access to additional equipment which maximises independence and comfort.
Changing Places facilities provide 12m² of floor space, and include both a full room coverage ceiling track hoist, a centrally located toilet bowl with space either side for transfers or assistants, and a height-adjustable adult sized changing bench.
Access to Changing Places facilities throughout the country will give people with disabilities greater access to our country as well as day-to-day activities that we take for granted.
The facility in the Hub will be hugely beneficial to UCC students but It is also a great addition to Cork not only for the local community but also those visiting Cork.
