Did You Know? Even with the existence of the Americans with Disabilities Act, bathroom access is still not a reality for eveyoneAs the holiday season fast approaches, days become filled with planning, preparation, and travel. Trips to stores and malls for festive foods, decorations, and gifts, and trips to family and friends for holiday celebrations are treasured aspects of the season for many. For families with disabled loved ones, however, these outings can be a daunting challenge, especially when a trip to the bathroom is necessary. Families with a disabled child or adult often engage in elaborate planning before a trip, often going miles out of their way to ensure that an appropriate bathroom will be on their route or at their destination. While the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has been instrumental in bringing accessible bathrooms to public spaces, full accessibility remains elusive. In its latest version, the ADA improves access for people who need to transfer from a wheelchair to the toilet by mandating additional space requirements inside the bathroom stall but does not address the issue of adult changing tables and lifts. Even in bathrooms meeting the current ADA requirements, too many people with disabilities experience the consequences of the unsanitary and unacceptable choice of being changed on the bathroom floor or having their toileting needs going unmet. All too often, families and individuals with disabilities choose to stay at home rather than deal with the hardship of not having a truly accessible place to take care of their most basic needs. This needs to change, and we need not wait for amendments to federal legislation before we act locally. Increasing bathroom accessibility doesn’t have to involve an expensive renovation; it can be as simple as providing a sturdy bench of the proper height and width. SMILE Mass is eager to support and advise any business or organization seeking to provide more accessible bathrooms. Together, we can be the change!Supporting SMILE Mass means you have a direct impact on the communities where we all live, work and play.(This article was published as an outreach email by SMILE Mass)