If you care for an older child or adult family member with a disability, you know how hard it can be to find a safe, private place to help them in a public restroom. Too often, caregivers are forced to change their loved ones in the back of a car or on a bathroom floor. Rather than face that, many families stay home when they can’t count on finding a restroom with an adult changing station.
This past June, in partnership with the Village of Elk Rapids, we completed improvements at Rotary Park. Along with the universally accessible kayak launch, picnic table, and bench, the park includes something you rarely see in outdoor recreation spaces: a private adult changing station in the restroom. We knew this went above and beyond the standard for an accessible park, but we felt strongly that it would benefit the community and visitors. It didn’t take long to hear feedback supporting our team’s decision.
A family’s first
This September, we heard from a family who found it.
Doug and Karmin were driving across the country with their adult son, Johnny, who has intellectual and physical disabilities. They pulled into Rotary Park on a whim. They were tired of driving, and the pavilion and the river caught their eye.
In all their travels, it was the first private adult changing station they had ever come across.
After their visit, Doug took the time to write to us:
“It was just a welcome surprise to walk into a bathroom that would allow us to help him change… Most places/people don’t understand the struggle and need for private restroom adult changing areas unless they have had to figure out the logistics personally… Being able to have facilities to allow our son to have privacy and dignity means so much.”
Why we build this way
Doug’s note is a reminder that accessibility isn’t only about getting into a space. It’s about whether everyone can stay, rest, and enjoy it with dignity. A feature most visitors never notice can decide whether a family stops somewhere at all.
That’s why we sit down with each community along the trail to learn what it needs most, rather than handing every town the same plan.
As we move into the next phase of accessibility improvements at Thurston Park in Central Lake, those conversations are still going. One idea on the table is an accessible swing.
Help us keep going
The work we do is only possible because of people who believe outdoor spaces should welcome everyone. Give a gift today and help bring the next accessible feature to a community along the trail.