When traveling around the great state of Ohio, I often must use the restroom, especially if my destination is hours away. This shouldn’t be any major news to anyone because most people probably have to use the restroom while traveling a distance. Using the restroom is a part of life.
When I pull into a rest stop, I’m pretty satisfied because there’s either an accessible stall in the women’s restroom or a stand-alone facility. I have no major issues with rest stop accessible restrooms unless they’re too small, smelly, dirty, or don’t have any or little toilet paper.
I have my needs when it comes to accessible restrooms at rest stops, and some of my friends have theirs, which can include changing tables.
By now, I think everyone should be aware of the need for changing tables because there has been a national push for them, especially in Ohio. In case you don’t know, Universal Changing Tables holds a person who has a disability of up to 350 lbs. and either needs help changing or needs this modification to change him or herself.
Before the national push, my friends who needed a changing table for restroom purposes were limited in how far they could travel throughout the state. I have traveled to Cleveland and Sandusky from Dayton, and if I couldn’t have stopped for a restroom break because there was no accessible restroom during my journey, let’s just say I would have been very uncomfortable.
Thanks to the national push, my friends who need changing tables can go to many places around the state because changing tables are going up in many of the rest stops.
Earlier this month, Governor Mike DeWine, the Ohio Department of Transportation, and my friends, who are amazing advocates from the Montgomery County Board of Developmental Disabilities, attended a ribbon cutting in Fayette County, which features a changing table at its rest stop. Seventeen more are scheduled to go in rest stops around Ohio this year, and ten more are scheduled for the following year.
When it comes to inclusion, equality, quality of life, and all the above, restroom accessibility at rest stops should be a goal that all states have met or are in the process of doing so.
Thanks, Ohio, for recognizing this basic need. Ohio has some very cool spots to visit, and now my friends will be able to travel to them and have access to restrooms at rest stops, too. I call this a true win for the Buckeye State. Happy traveling!
What a great awareness and much needed update for people who want to travel without restrictions.
Thank you for sharing Shari.
Dawn,
Thank you for reading and commenting.
I know you’ve been advocating for changing tables for a while, Shari. I’m happy for your success in helping more people to have freedom to travel.
Thank you Margie!