Changing Places toilet fund opens for bids
Councils in England are being urged to apply for a share of £30m to install Changing Places toilets in public places and tourist attractions.
Changing Places toilets are larger accessible toilets that come with equipment such as hoists, curtains, adult-sized changing benches, and space for carers.
Although over 250,000 people in the country need these facilities, there are currently only 1,200 installed across England.
Ministerial disability champion, Eddie Hughes, said: Where people shop, go out, or travel should not be determined by their disability. That’s why the provision of Changing Places toilets is so important for people who cannot use standard accessible toilets.
Britain’s bus firms will be forced to provide audible and visual announcements to help disabled passengers, the Department for Transport (DfT) has announced.
Latest figures from March 2020 show three out of five buses in England were not fitted with the technology.
The DfT has pledged to provide grants of £3.5 million to helper smaller companies add audio-visual information systems to their fleets.
It also announced that research will be carried out into the design of bus stops and bus stations to ensure they are “accessible for all”.
This is part of a wider strategy to boost inclusivity across transport.
Au audit of UK railway stations announced in May has started to identify potential accessibility improvements and existing good examples.
major audit of all UK railway stations and fast-tracked improvements
new laws to boost accessibility standards on buses and taxis
measures come as part of government’s National Disability Strategy as we build back fairer from COVID-19
Disabled passengers will have better access to public transport and a bigger say in how they travel, under a new strategy that will boost inclusivity across the entire network.
The Department for Transport (DfT) is today (28 July 2021) unveiling a range of initiatives to remove barriers and improve confidence for disabled people as they return to trains, buses and taxis after the pandemic.
An audit of all UK train stations, originally pledged in the Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, is now underway – helping to identify improvements and highlighting existing areas of excellence. The findings will form a new public database so people can better plan their journeys and, along with input from disabled passengers, will shape future investment in acces