00:00 For Michael and his daughter Georgia, day trips require careful planning.
00:07 Georgia needs access to what's called a changing places toilet.
00:11 The absence of a public bathroom or a bathroom which can facilitate Georgia in a dignified way
00:18 and also a safe way for both her and ourselves often means we just can't go there.
00:24 Changing places are usually bigger than a standard accessible toilet
00:27 and have more equipment like hoists, adult size change tables and privacy screens.
00:33 Changing places are becoming more common. Australia now has 259.
00:39 Now we just need to get you into your sling Georgia.
00:42 But in a big country advocates say many more are needed.
00:46 Julie Jones runs an accessible travel website.
00:49 My readers tell me that with a changing places bathroom
00:53 they can actually stay out for a full day if they have access to one.
00:57 Since 2019 Australia's National Construction Code has required accessible adult change facilities
01:02 to be included in some public buildings based on a minimum number of users.
01:07 For example one would need to be included in a museum, art gallery or theatre
01:12 that's designed to hold at least 1500 people.
01:15 The UK introduced similar regulations in 2021 but it already had 1400 changing places,
01:22 more than five times as many as Australia.
01:25 We need many, many more. We need them in shopping centres, we need them at beaches,
01:30 all the places where people like to go and spend time with their loved ones
01:35 and stay for longer than a few hours.
01:38 The Federal Government is funding a third of the cost of new changing places
01:42 in council areas that don't have a facility, starting to create change.
01:47 [BLANK_AUDIO]
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