A Changing Places disability toilet will be built in Mount Gambier as part of a $1.7 million State Government program aimed at increasing access for people living with disability.
Changing Places are best-practice toilets that include customised features that give people with disability a dignified and purpose-built facility to use when they are out.
The City of Mount Gambier has a backed the plan that will deliver significant benefits for people living with disability in the region.
"We want to ensure that our community members with a disability have access to facilities to ensure greater independence. Council will now determine the most appropriate location for the facility in consultation with Council’s Community Engagement and Social Inclusion Sub-Committee and key stakeholders," City of Mount Gambier Mayor Andrew Lee said.
Currently in South Australia, there are no toilet facilities that meet the Changing Places specifications.
"The State Government is committed to ensuring all South Australians with disability have the opportunity to live fulfilling lives as active members of their communities, and more Changing Places toilets will help to achieve that goal," SA Minister for Disabilities Katrine Hildyard said.
The proposed toilets have a range of features not available in standard accessible toilets, including a height-adjustable adult-sized change table, a tracking hoist system, non-slip flooring, and more space to accommodate a person using a wheelchair and up to two carers.
"The support from the City of Mount Gambier means more South Australians with disability, and visitors to the region, will have important facilities that give them greater independence, as well as delivering greater peace of mind for families and carers."
"It’s also critical that regional communities have access to improved facilities, which not only boost independence for people with disability in those communities, but also help to attract more tourists and encourage more locals to travel throughout SA’s regions," she said.
