Astor Bannerman worked with the Isle of Man’s Manx Museum on their Changing Places toilet project in 2018. We caught up with them a few years on to find out what impact the installation of the facility has had on the museum and its visitors.
What have been the benefits to the museum of having a Changing Places toilet?
Our Changing Place has provided tangible benefits to the museum and to the local community. It has not only attracted audiences who would not usually visit the museum, it has provided disabled people and their carers with both the space and equipment they need to safely use bathroom facilities, have the confidence to leave their homes and enjoy the museum complex. With our disabled visitors well catered for, their dwell time within the museum complex has increased, whilst the benefits have also extended to Douglas town centre, which is accessible via lift from the adjoining car park. The facility has opened up opportunities that were not previously available including to the elderly and people with multiple and complex disabilities, demonstrates our commitment to accessibility for all and vastly improves the quality of life for facility users. We’re exceptionally proud of it!
How has the Changing Places toilet helped visitors?
Our Changing Places Facility has given people independence and improved quality of life, opening up a range of activities that many people take for granted on a daily basis such as visiting the museum galleries, shopping or attending exhibitions and public events. We have visitors who come to the museum just to use the Changing Places facility, others visit to use the hoist, change clothing or to safely have time out of their wheelchair and stretch on the adjustable bed.
The museum has become a place where both disabled visitors and their carers feel safe, catered for and welcomed. Our disabled visitors have a newly found freedom as they are able to stay away from home for longer, knowing that they can visit a safe, clean and hygienic bathroom. We’re proud to champion this, with the days of having to return home to use the loo or having to change in unacceptable conditions long over.
Has the number of disabled visitors increased?
We don’t actively monitor the number of people using the facility, however, it is regularly in use. Notably, multigenerational families and parents with young children also regularly use the facility, in addition to disabled people and their carers.
Have you made any other changes to the museum to improve accessibility?
We are continuously updating the facilities at the Manx Museum, making ongoing improvements to provide an inclusive environment for all who visit. These include a fully accessible reception area with a dropped kerb on the pavement, automatic doors at the main entrance and new disabled bathroom facilities. An access guide for the museum is available on our website. Torches and ear defenders are available to borrow from reception for those who require them. Push button power assisted doors have been installed, seating is available in most of the galleries and we have a wheelchair available to borrow while you visit – just ask when you arrive or call ahead to pre book.
Assistance dogs are welcome and a water bowl is available at reception. Our main reception area, shop counter and library reading room counter have an induction loop for our hearing impaired visitors. There is written interpretation in all galleries.
Visitors with specific needs are welcome to contact the museum team in advance of their visit to request a guided tour.
We have created a Quiet Space with sensory lighting for visitors who may experience heightened sensory anxiety, have medical needs, parental needs or need to use the room for quiet contemplation. We’ve also implemented some very simple changes such as removing the front row of fixed seats within our lecture theatre, replacing these with movable seating to provide space for wheelchair users. We’re also undertaking more major work such as installing an additional lift, providing access to our new TT Gallery, ensuring the new gallery is accessible to all when it opens.
What advice would you give to other museums & tourist attractions that are considering installing a Changing Places toilet?
Go for it – be inclusive, be welcoming and celebrate access for all!
Chairman of the Manx Lottery Trust, Sarah Kelly, and Edmund Southworth, Director of Manx National Heritage, opening the Changing Places toilet in 2018
Want more information about Changing Places Toilets?
ABOUT ASTOR BANNERMAN
Astor Bannerman are a UK manufacturer offering the full range of products specified by Changing Places regulations, including fixed and mobile changing tables, hoists, height adjustable washbasins, toilets and accessories. They have over 27 years’ experience of designing and installing equipment for disabled people and their families.