October 10, 2016 12.08 pm This story is over 89 months old

Mum sets up campaign for proper disabled changing facilities in Lincoln

A Lincolnshire mum with a six-year-old disabled daughter is campaigning for suitable registered changing place toilet facilities to be built in Lincoln city centre. There is currently not a single registered changing space toilet facility (with adult changing bench and hoist) in the whole of the city centre that caters for people with no independent mobility. This means…

A Lincolnshire mum with a six-year-old disabled daughter is campaigning for suitable registered changing place toilet facilities to be built in Lincoln city centre.

There is currently not a single registered changing space toilet facility (with adult changing bench and hoist) in the whole of the city centre that caters for people with no independent mobility.

This means that disabled people in Lincoln are having to be changed in “inappropriate places” without appropriate equipment or sit in soiled pads for prolonged periods of time.

Now, Lorna Fillingham is campaigning to change this.

She has said that there there are plans for one to be included in the new transport hub but it appears that there are currently no plans to include one in the rest of the Cornhill developments.

Lorna said: “My girl is six-years-old and has global development delay, is non-verbal and a wheelchair user.

“She is unable to maintain a sitting balance and is unable to tell me when she needs the loo, she is therefore still in nappies.

“Now when I have to change her in disabled public conveniences I am more and more often faced with the challenge of either changing her on a baby changing table and hoping that it won’t break because she’s not the size of your average baby, or changing her on the toilet floor.

“More and more often it’s the latter, which is unsanitary, unhygienic and in my mind inhumane as well as undignified.”

Maria Clayton, Lincoln Transport Hub Project Manager at City of Lincoln Council, said: “The new transport hub development is being built with accessibility in mind and will meet the current demand of around seven million passengers per year as well as being designed for future growth and provide a 15% increase in capacity.

“The new bus station will include passenger waiting facilities, travel information, café concession, female, male and accessible public toilets including a changing places fully accessible WC facility.”