world Introducing Changing Places , New Zealand
Profoundly disabled Kiwi kid leads the
world Introducing Changing Places , New Zealand
By Shana Jones
Hamilton , New Zealand , 2017 . Jenn Hooper , mother of two boys and Charley , a profoundly disabled 17-year-old-girl . A precious life worthy of the dignity so often taken for granted . A fierce determination to defy “ acceptable ” for an invisible sector of society .
It all started with a “ twig ”:
When we realized how severe Charley was going to be , we realized that as soon as she was too big to lift without a hoist , she ’ d be housebound . We ' re a family package , so that meant we ’ d all be housebound . We wanted more for her - and for us .
Suddenly one day , something kind of “ twigged ”. I kept finding myself saying , ‘ The world isn ' t set up for this level of disability ’… And I thought , ‘ Well , actually , why isn ' t it ? Let ' s change that ’.
So , I started developing a room .
[ So started Changing Places New Zealand , a charity that designs customized public restroom facilities for people whose high and complex care needs cannot be met by standard accessible accommodations . These facilities provide clean , dignified , and secure spaces in which the needs can be met . There are currently five rooms across the country with another five to be completed this year .]
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