Adult Changing Tables to Bring More Accessible Travel and Business to Tennessee
The state of Tennessee has made a significant investment in creating more accessible, hygienic toileting experiences for people with disabilities and their families. In the 2023 budget, the TN General Assembly allocated $1 million to the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (DIDD) to increase the number of adult-size changing tables in public restrooms across the state. DIDD will distribute the funds by awarding up to 200 grants of $5,000 to businesses and municipal governments that will purchase and install powered, height-adjustable, adult-sized changing tables in their restrooms.
Applications for the grants were opened in July 2022. Examples of eligible facilities include restaurants, retail stores, parks, and community centers with public, single-occupancy family restrooms. With the right space and equipment, restrooms with adult changing tables can provide privacy and cleanliness, room for transfers from wheelchairs and other equipment, as well as improved safety for the caregiver assisting.
DIDD’s Commissioner, Brad Turner, is a father of a child with disabilities who understands the need for access to safe and clean changing spaces. He believes installing these tables at businesses across the state will improve inclusion and access for not only people with disabilities, but also their caregivers, family, and friends.
“For so many families, if there isn’t access to an adult changing table, they feel isolated from their communities. They’re forced to either stay at home or they’re stuck with navigating uncomfortable and unhygienic settings,” said DIDD Commissioner Brad Turner. “Removing this barrier will signal to people with disabilities that they are welcome and invited to enjoy all that Tennessee has to offer.”
State leaders moved forward on the adult changing tables efforts after hearing about the important need from members of the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities. Separate from DIDD’s grant program, the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) has also committed to equipping bathrooms at rest areas and welcome centers statewide with adult-size changing tables. Their goal is to have the equipment available in Hamilton County, Robertson County, Haywood County, and Jefferson County by the end of the year. In August 2022, members of the council and DIDD Commissioner Brad Turner joined TDOT leadership for a groundbreaking ceremony for the first table to be installed at the Interstate 75 Welcome Center in Hamilton County. The event highlighted the importance of these partnerships and the impact this work will have for people with disabilities living here and families who want to visit the volunteer state.
“TDOT’s efforts show families like mine that Tennessee values people with disabilities. I am hopeful businesses across the state will continue to apply for universal changing table grants to give families more options,” Commissioner Turner said at the event.
Businesses or municipal governments wishing to apply to DIDD’s changing table grant must be either private or municipal entities within the state of Tennessee, and the funding must be used for facilities that are open to the public within the state.
To learn more about adult-changing table best practices, visit DIDD’s website at this link: https://www.tn.gov/didd/for-consumers/adult-size-changing-tables.html
Interested entities can find the grant application here.