The reaction of a mother of three to the offer of a nappy change: – It is very insulting

You don’t have to lie in shit to get rid of shit, says stepmother Silvia Forali.

Forali is literally sick of the fact that children and the disabled are not better evaluated.

Because there is no legal requirement to change tables in public toilets in Norway.

Furali often faces having to put her children on the floor to change them.

Urine and gout

Forali has two children diapers. One is six months and the other is 7-aCall Down Syndrome.

Having to put babies on the floor while changing diapers, You think it’s disgusting. It is also seen as humiliating, especially for older people.

– Urine and other masks are safe in more places than under the toilet in these places, says Forali, who went to buy a rug to put the kids on.

However, you find it unsanitary, cramped, condescending, and impractical to clean the floor.

She believes that it should be a requirement that public toilets have changing tables.

Encourage equipment in the car

Store manager, Tarik Bellhcen at Esso Bankhjørnet in Elverum, encourages parents to bring equipment in the car so they can change their children’s diapers.

He says they don’t have any requirement to change tables.

– He says: We have requirements for disabled toilets, but we don’t have changing tables.

But – When he hears about the problems of Silvia Forali and other parents of young children, he still installs changing tables in the toilet.

– And he says having the store is a plus, because then we have a show for families.

Also in the rest areas along the way there are changing tables missing in many places. Construction Manager Björn Inge Stevrud Holter at the Norwegian Public Roads Administration works to rehabilitate latrines along national road rest areas.

He says changing tables are being installed as they replace old toilet buildings.

When there are changing tables, they are often untidy because there is so much focus on them.

Holter understands that parents of young children find it unclean to put their children on the floor.

– We’re trying to put it in place in the new buildings, he says.

I think the floor is an inappropriate place at all

Health nurse Helen C. Knivesberg in Stavanger supports Silvia Forali. She believes that the toilet floor is an absolutely inappropriate place for both the child and the parents.

Children have the right to be in public space like everyone else. The ability to change a nappy is a prerequisite for this. She says having to use the floor for this is not acceptable.

Knivsberg thinks it odd that there are no specific requirements for changing rooms in public places. She believes that changing tables and rooms should have requirements for both safety, hygiene and accessibility.

Public buildings should function well for everyone. This also means that the buildings will work well for young children. It is also important that the changing room is available to both parents. She also says that combining changing rooms and accessible toilets is clearly not a good idea, as it can quickly present space challenges.

There are no legal requirements to change schedules

It’s not easy just to see who can actually answer whether there should be changing tables in Norwegian public toilets.

First, the Directorate for Children, Adolescents and Families (Boufdir) responds. They state that there is no legal requirement to change schedules.

This is confirmed by the Construction Quality Directorate, and says that there are no specific requirements because changing tables fall under the category of “loose furniture”.

Communications consultant Jonas Hagensen at Bouvedere It further states that there is no action around the change table on the part of the state.

– Developing changing tables suitable for larger people is product development, so it is the suppliers who sell this type of equipment that should take the lead for such development, he said.

The Equality and Anti-Discrimination Ombudsman stated that they also did not work with changing tables in public toilets.

– We had no issues about this on our table, writes the communications consultant Engfield Sound.

The Ministry notes this issue

When asked about changing tables actually no should To be a requirement, it is a municipality and The Department of the region that gives NRK an answer to that.

They write in the email what it is The requirements in the technical regulations that at least one of the toilet rooms or bathrooms in buildings with specific requirements for the general design, must meet the requirements for the general design.

– This means, for example, that there is free floor space for wheelchairs to rotate, Secretary of State Nancy Charlotte Borsinger Antey wrote.

As for changing tables, you mentioned itThe special requirements regarding childcare status were not discussed, but they noted the problem.

Disappointment and boredom

Silvia Forali is disappointed and disturbed by the state of care in public toilets.

I think it especially sad for my seven-year-old. Silvia Forali says she also needs to get to the bathroom the right way.

She often ends up taking care of the kids in the car, rather than in dirty toilets full of paper and other spills on the floor.

– I wish there were requests for proper changing tables, not just wall-mounted but with legs on the floor. Then it is also suitable for older children with little weight. It is as humiliating as it is today.