By Melissa Meehan
Families who have children with profound disabilities will have access to a newly opened bathroom facility at Chadstone Shopping Centre, a move welcomed by local councillor Glen Atwell.
The Stonnington councillor’s daughter, Ivy, has a rare genetic condition and he had made it his mission to improve the facilities at Chadstone, for anyone with a severe or profound disability.
“For us, and other parents with children with profound disabilities, when they outgrow the standard sort of baby change table, there is no alternative for a child with profound disabilities other than being changed on the floor, or a trip back to the car and changing in the boot or back seat,” he explained.
“Those options lack dignity – to think that a child with disabilities has to be ferried back to the car, or changed on the floor of a toilet at a shopping centre.
Cr Atwell says he’s become more aware about improving accessibility and facilities in Stonnington after welcoming Ivy.
He had been campaigning to build a ‘Changing Places’ facility at Chadstone, as part of the more recent redevelopments at the centre.
Changing Places is a project to advocate for public toilets with full-sized change tables and hoists in major public spaces across Australia, to meet the needs of people with severe and profound disabilities.
“They say the standard you walk past is the standard you accept, and since Ivy I have definitely looked twice at things and through council I have been able to encourage and affect change on things that previously may have gone unnoticed,” he said.
“Things like introducing a disability drop-off bay outside swimming pools so that people can’t get a disability car park out the front can at least do a drop-off and find a car park somewhere else.
“It’s been really useful to be able to bring that perspective to council, and through council I’ve been able to advocate for Changing Places.”
On his Facebook page, Cr Atwell welcomed the opening of the purpose built bathroom, and said it included a full size, height adjustable bench, hoist, shower, peninsular toilet and retractable privacy screen.
“The biggest and busiest shopping centre in the country is now more accessible and inclusive than ever before,” he said.
“So thank you, Chadstone for investing in Changing Places. Thank you for giving people the confidence to know they can go to the bathroom with dignity.
“And I’ll keep working hard to publicly advocate for these facilities to shift from ‘optional extras’ to ‘basic necessities’.”
– with Danielle Galvin
