Who are the Consortium?

The Changing Places Toilets campaign was initiated by the late Loretto Lambe, founder and CEO of PAMIS (Promoting A More Inclusive Society), a voluntary organisation based in Dundee that supports parents of children and adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities (PMLD).

 

In 2003, PAMIS created a powerful video that highlighted the struggles faced by parents who were forced to change their children on dirty toilet floors or in the back of cars. The video included an interview with Loretto and Lord Rix from Mencap, where they discussed the urgent issue.

 

PAMIS joined forces with Mencap, who had appointed Beverley Dawkins as their National Officer for PMLD. Beverley was working with families across the UK who were also experiencing the same issues in public toilets.

 
Loretto Lambe, Beverley Dawkins OBE, Martin Jackaman, and Joyce Burns are pictured at the launch in 2006 with Alison  Lapper, well known Artist and Disability campaigner, who launched our campaign

In 2004, Martin Jackaman from Nottingham City Council recognised that the lack of suitable facilities was a problem not only for families but also for Day Services staff. He formed a project team to design a fully accessible toilet. Their goal was to incorporate this design into the new public toilets being built in Nottingham, which were set to open in July 2006.Using the video created by PAMIS, Martin successfully convinced the Council to include the design.

 

Around the same time, the Department of Health Valuing People Team, established in 2001, was looking to improve services for people with learning disabilities. In 2005, they recommended bringing together Loretto Lambe, Joyce Burns (a Specialist Occupational Therapist), Beverley Dawkins, Martin Jackaman, and Cally Ward (PMLD Lead from the Valuing People Team) to form a Consortium focused on addressing the issue across the UK.

 

With support from Mencap's media, design, and campaign steam, the Consortium developed a strategy, logo, and website for the campaign. They officially launched the Changing Places campaign at Tate Modern in July2006, with the help of Alison Lapper MBE, a renowned artist and disability campaigner.

 

Soon after, Wai-Mei Chan from the Centre for Accessible Environments joined the Consortium, bringing much-needed expertise inaccessibility and design. Sue Carmichael replaced Cally Ward as the Department of Health representative. The Consortium was co-chaired by Loretto (PAMIS) and Beverley (Mencap) to ensure the campaign remained deeply connected to parent-led voluntary organisations, providing ongoing access to those directly affected by the lack of suitable facilities. This partnership enabled PAMIS and Mencap to work closely with both the UK and Scottish Parliaments.

 

By 2005, the Consortium began collaborating with local councils, shopping centres, airports, tourism sites, and leisure venues to establish Changing Places toilets across the UK.

 

By 2007, there were 30 Changing Places toilets in the UK, all initiated by Consortium members. Although each facility followed a similar concept, there was no standard layout. Using the Nottingham design as a model, the Consortium worked with the British Standards Institute to include Changing Places toilets in BS 8300, which was approved in 2009. The Consortium also worked with the Department of Communities, who included Changing Places toilets in their Strategic Guide to Public Toilet Provision in 2008. This work ultimately contributed to changes in Part M of the Building Regulations in2013, which began referring to Changing Places toilets alongside standard accessible toilets.

 

In 2010, the Consortium secured sponsorship to fund a part-time development worker, based at Mencap, to coordinate the campaign, develop the website, advise potential venues, and expand the network of campaigners across the UK. In November 2017, Muscular Dystrophy UK replaced Mencap as co-chair of the Consortium and took up this position until March 2025. PAMIS then transitioned from a shared chairing role to become the sole chair of the Changing Places Toilet Consortium. As co-founders of the campaign, we are committed to ensuring continuity and furthering the mission to improve inclusion and accessibility for people with complex disabilities. Changing Places Toilets (CPTs) are the key to unlocking community access ensuring that everyone can visit a toilet that supports them to have their personal care needs met safely and with dignity and respect.