During lockdown, many residents experienced, for the first time, the lack of access to public toilets.
Suddenly, a trip to the park or the shops became time-limited, in case you needed to head home if nature called.
These moments gave everyone a glimpse into the daily reality for many disabled people.
According to the Changing Places Consortium, over 250,000 people in the UK need access to a Changing Places toilet to help them enjoy everyday life.
These toilets are designed specifically for people with complex disabilities and their carers.
They provide more space and equipment than a standard accessible toilet, including height-adjustable adult-sized changing benches, ceiling track hoists, and space for multiple carers, ensuring a safe and dignified experience.
One of my daughters has quadriplegic cerebral palsy and is a wheelchair user, so I can tell you firsthand that a Changing Places toilet can really change lives.
Without a Changing Places toilet, we’ve sadly had the indignity of changing my daughter on a bench or behind a bush to try to give her some privacy.
Toilet access determines where families like mine can go and for how long.
There is only one Changing Places toilet in my Bexleyheath & Crayford constituency, in the Broadway Shopping Centre for those who require a changing bench, hoist or space for carers.
This is why I am campaigning for Changing Places toilets in all big public venues.
Since we discovered the Changing Places map, it has been a life-changer for our family.
We use it to plan our days out, helping us enjoy time together without worry.
Which is why I don’t believe one toilet is enough to serve the residents of Bexleyheath and Crayford.
There are now 2,609 Changing Places toilets across the UK, with 414 new installations last year, the highest annual increase ever.
So, momentum is building, and I’m urging our council to look at new venues to provide them such as Crook Log Leisure Centre, Hall Place and Crayford Town Centre.
I was honoured to raise Changing Places toilets during a debate which I sponsored in the House of Commons following Changing Places Awareness Day in July.
I was proud to use my platform to pay tribute to the campaign organisation Changing Places in its 20th year to highlight their relentless work for disabled people and their carers.
Toilets are not the most glamorous of topics, but I am making it my mission to raise awareness about the issue.
Because I know families like mine will welcome the opportunity to travel freely knowing they have access to the facilities they need and that they can use with dignity.
Changing Places toilets enable anyone, regardless of their disability, to go to the shops, attend hospital appointments, enjoy community life, socialise and travel.
Many of us take this basic necessity and right for granted every day, so let’s extend it to everyone.
