Gardens become more accessible to disabled people with Changing Places installation

More families will be able to enjoy visiting RHS Garden Harlow Carr in Harrogate, North Yorkshire, thanks to the installation of a new modular Changing Places toilet.

Due to open at the end of this month, the new facility will help visitors with complex care needs to access the garden more easily.

Delivered by Changing Places supplier Innova Care Concepts, the new accessible toilets feature specialist assistive technologies such as a height-adjustable changing bench and wash basin, ceiling track with hoist, as well as a privacy screen and shower facilities.

The new Changing Places toilet will be located in the car park at RHS Harlow Carr, enabling both visitors to the garden as well as members of the local community and visitors to the area to use the facility.

Liz Thwaite, Head of Site at RHS Garden Harlow Carr, commented: “Sharing our passion for gardening is a key charitable aim and we want to give as many people as possible the opportunity to enjoy our beautiful Gardens. The inclusion of the brand new Changing Places unit will, we hope ensure members of the local community and all our visitors can explore RHS Harlow Carr without worry.”

The installation coincided with World Toilet Day on 19 November. This campaign celebrates toilets and highlights the global sanitation crisis that affects billions of people around the world who are living without access to a safely managed toilet.

Derek Oliver, Changing Places Manager for Innova Care Concepts, commented: “It has been a privilege to help RHS Harlow Carr become more accessible by installing a modular Changing Places toilet. Outdoor venues are the number one area where those with complex care needs and their families want to see more Changing Places, so it is fantastic to see RHS Harlow Carr acknowledge those needs.

“Their new Changing Place will allow more families to enjoy the beautiful gardens without having to worry about where to find appropriate toileting facilities. We hope that many other local organisations will follow in their footsteps and take action to become more inclusive.”

Innova Care Concepts has installed a lot of Changing Places toilets around the UK this year to improve the lives of disabled people.

Installations have included at the Whiteley Shopping Centre in Fareham, Hampshire; City Hall, Greater London Authority; the first bank in the UK to install a Changing Places facility; and at The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo on the Edinburgh Castle Esplanade.