The City of Canada Bay has marked International Day of People with Disability with the opening of its first Changing Places facility at Majors Bay Reserve, Concord.
Designed for people with high support needs, the facility is equipped with an adult-sized change table, ceiling hoist, privacy screen, toilet, and shower.
“Our new Changing Places facility is an important step towards making our public spaces more accessible and inclusive,” said City of Canada Bay Mayor Michael Megna.
“We want to ensure everyone has the same opportunities to enjoy our beautiful outdoor spaces and recreation facilities.”
The new facility was delivered alongside a series of connecting pathways throughout the site, to further improve accessibility.
Local Adam enjoys spending time outdoors with his daughter Isabel, but they’re often limited in where they can go because many places don’t offer facilities that meet their needs.
He says the availability of a facility like a Changing Places makes all the difference.
“It [the Changing Places facility] makes it a lot easier for us because currently we’re restricted, and when we’re restricted, we can’t participate as much.”
“To have a facility in the community like this means we’ve got no restrictions — we’re included.”
Nicolas Fodor represents Participate Australia, a disability service provider that offers a wide range of support services, including day activity programs for people with disabilities.
“If there’s not a fully accessible public toilet available, it can cause significant distress to our participants,” Mr Fodor explained.
“Having a state-of-the-art facility like this is great — knowing that there is a place in the local community where we can come kick a ball, have a picnic and not have to worry about accessibility because it’s all already there for us.”
Changing Places facilities can be accessed with a Master Locksmiths Access Key, or ‘MLAK’ key, which can be ordered via masterlocksmiths.com.au.
The opening of the Changing Places marks a further milestone in the City of Canada Bay’s $4.75 million transformation of Majors Bay Reserve, proudly funded by the NSW Government.
The landmark project has already seen the opening of an intermediate BMX jump track, outdoor sports on site, with a new playground, BMX pump track and outdoor fitness station still to come.
Community members can learn more about the Changing Places facility and the entirety of the Majors Bay Reserve Recreation Precinct project at bit.ly/mbrprecinct.
