Ailis Healy, supported by her mother Ann Healy, set up a Facebook page in 2012 to highlight the lack of appropriate changing facilities in Ireland after becoming aware of the Changing Places lobbying movement that was taking place in the UK.
The first meeting of the Changing Places Ireland Working Group, formed by Inclusion Ireland following consultation with Changing Places UK and comprising of a number of like-minded individuals and organisations, took place in November of 2014 and was the beginning of a coordinated response to the lack of fully accessible toilets in Ireland. The Changing Places Ireland campaign set out to introduce fully accessible toilets to public places such as shopping centres, libraries and sporting arenas across the country.
Changing Places Ireland consists of parents, elected representatives and organisations working in the disability space including the Disability Federation of Ireland, Irish Wheelchair Association and Inclusion Ireland.
The current Steering Group was formed in 2018 when representatives from Irish Wheelchair Association, DisabilityFederation of Ireland, Central Remedial Clinic, Enable Ireland, and Inclusion Ireland joined with persons with disabilities and their families to progress the campaign for Changing Places facilities in Ireland.
Changing places Ireland worked with Government for an amendment to Part M of the building regulations which were changed on the 1st Jan 2023.
This campaign has been successful with the Amendment announced in December 2022 to take effect on 1st January 2023.
Changing Places Ireland 