You may have noticed that there are baby changing facilities in many public places. But have you ever thought about the limited options available to young people and adults with disabilities who need similar support outside of their home? Denmark faced this challenge and fortunately Pressalit came up with a solution. They have created Spaces, a carefully designed, barrier-free bathroom facility that includes an entire building with a toilet, sink, shower and changing table – all elements are height-adjustable. These adjustable elements are powered by LINAK drives and are an example of our joint efforts with Pressalit to improve the lives of people with disabilities in search of barrier-free solutions. Read more about Spaces and the collaboration between Pressalit and LINAK in the story below.
The Danish company Pressalit® has long been committed to ensuring that people with disabilities have more dignified changing places. In other countries, specially designed accessible toilets are common in public spaces, but Denmark is lagging behind. With the Spaces changing room solution, which includes customizable applications with drive solutions from LINAK, Pressalit has taken the first step towards better changing rooms in Denmark.
Participating in activities outside the home can be very challenging for a Danish family with a member with a disability. It requires planning. Today, families need to use their network to plan where and when a family member transition is possible. As Mr. Claus Lund Albertsen, Sales Manager at Care Nordic at Pressalit, says: “A simple trip to, for example, a shopping center or an amusement park can be impossible or humiliating and unworthy if there is no sufficiently accessible toilet with a variety of tables”.
More dignity
According to Claus Lund Albertsen, there is a need for many more accessible toilets in Denmark as they create more dignity and freedom for people with disabilities and their families: “Many children, young people and adults with physical disabilities need a shower and a changing table.” For lying down For personal hygiene and diaper changing, there is unfortunately no changing table mattress in the public toilets for people with disabilities, only a small changing table for babies. This means having to lie on a dirty lounger on the toilet floor to change diapers or clothes – it’s humiliating. And for this reason, many people are choosing to stay at home.
The LINAK® partnership
Pressalit is best known for its toilet seats, but the company also designs, develops and manufactures bathroom accessories and height-adjustable kitchens. The company’s focus is on solutions for people with disabilities and reduced mobility. Pressalit makes extensive use of LINAK products because their solutions need to be electrically adjustable to provide the best experience for users and caregivers.
About the choice of LINAK as a supplier, Claus Lund Albertsen says: “LINAK delivers quality that harmonizes with the Pressalit strategy of developing and manufacturing high-quality products. User safety must be at the highest level and all our products are thoroughly tested.” .
It is very important to us that LINAK’s products are well documented, as documentation must be provided for the certification of our products.”
Washbasins and toilets are adjusted with LINAK actuators
England and the USA are leading the way
In Denmark we are mainly used to standard toilets for people with disabilities, where there is rarely enough space or the right facilities to change a large child or adult. In the UK it’s a different story. Mr Andrew Lowndes, UK Sales Manager at Pressalit, said: “There are now around 1,700 changing facilities in public access locations here in the UK. These include airports, shopping centers, amusement parks, train stations, rest areas, museums, educational institutions and hospitals”.
Changing locations is becoming very popular in the UK and Andrew Lowndes believes this is due to changes in recommendations in the disabled access regulations for buildings. Additionally, many public changing rooms in the UK receive public funding.
In the US it’s a different story. Different rules and regulations apply in each federal state. In Claus Lund Albertsen’s experience, it is primarily the relatives who struggle to set up adequate changing facilities. They have been successful in several places and accessibility is also increasing in the US.
Denmark on board
In Denmark there are not many public changing rooms with the necessary facilities. According to Claus Lund Albertsen, one of the reasons is the lack of focus on the issue in Denmark. However, this is changing: “We expect growth in the exchange facility sector as more and more countries begin to recognize the importance of it.”
In Denmark specifically, Pressalit has presented a concept that will set the standard for future relocations. The name is “Pressalit Spaces” and includes an entire building with all the facilities that a person with a disability and their carer need in a changing situation.
Several components in the building contain products with LINAK drives – the height-adjustable shower and changing table, the height-adjustable washbasin and the height-adjustable toilet.
“It is crucial for us that the components of the new changing facility are height-adjustable. This means that users and carers can adapt the space exactly to their needs and get the best experience,” concludes Claus Lund Albertsen.
At the time of writing, Pressalit Spaces is only available in Denmark and users should be approved by Disabled People’s Organizations Denmark (DPOD). Read more about Pressalit Spaces and how to get access on the Danish website.
For more information, visit the LINAK website.