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Testimonials
Inclusion without a “changing place”? This is unimaginable for many people.
There are many reasons for a “changing place”. Read more here!
Countess Bettina Bernadotte,
Managing Director of Mainau GmbH
www.mainau.de
Photo: Insel Mainau/Peter Allgaier
Countess Bettina Bernadotte
Managing Director of Mainau GmbH :
“As one of the premier touristic family attractions in Baden-Wuerttemberg, we set up two »changing places« on the island of Mainau in 2017. We strive to be an island that makes all our guests feel comfortable and relaxed.
Therefore we fully support the initiative that was launched jointly by the “Landesverband fuer Menschen mit Koerper- und Mehrfachbehinderung (LVKM)” and the “Ministerium fuer Soziales und Integration Baden-Wuerttemberg”. We are happy to be able to contribute to the natural participation in everyday life of people with disabilities and multiple disabilities as well as dementia patients with incontinence, among others, by equipping our sanitary installations with a changing bench, a patient hoist and a diaper bin.”
Andrea Poul
Center Manager Milaneo Stuttgart :
“When the “Landesverband” approached me asking me to set up a »changing place«, I was at first perplexed at the fact that I had never thought about anything like that before.
We attach great importance to the fact that as many people as possible feel comfortable with us having the chance to take some time out while shopping. And so I approached this topic with determination and am happy that we have been able to install the first »changing place« in a shopping centre.”
Katrin Altpeter, MdL (Member of the state parliament of Baden-Wuerttemberg)
Minister for Labour and Social Affairs, Family, Women and Senior Citizens Baden-Wuerttemberg,
2011 - 2016
Katrin Altpeter, MdL :
“Often, people with severe disabilities cannot use either a general toilet or a wheelchair-accessible toilet since they require assistance and a bench to change their diapers. And so they and their families and assistants have to improvise, for instance by using the floor of a wheelchair-accessible toilet or the back seat of a car instead. This is an untenable situation that we want to change urgently in the interests of the people concerned and their assistants. That is why we have initiated the project “Changing Places” together with the “Landesverband fuer Menschen mit Koerper- und Mehrfachbehinderung Baden-Wuerttemberg e.V.” and are now setting up a network of changing places across our region.
In a »changing place«, people with disabilities will find everything they need for their personal hygiene: a bench and a people hoist to transfer the disabled person safely from the wheelchair onto the toilet or the bench. The latter two are hygienic and allow the disabled person to lie down comfortably while the assistant is changing the incontinence product.
We sponsor the equipment of these changing places and provide information on their locations, equipment and accessibility.
It is important to us to eliminate existing disadvantages based on disabilities. I am sure that this project will contribute to making the everyday lives of the people concerned and their families and assistants much easier thus enabling real participation in society.”
Did you know?
The German title of the campaign „Changing Places“ is „Toiletten fuer alle“, „toilets for all“.
