Do you remember?

When the world shut down and everyone was stuck at home?

You couldn’t go to a movie, meet your sister for coffee or enjoy a concert with your friends.

You couldn’t go to a football game or have a family fun day at the pool.

You couldn’t take your kids to the zoo, enjoy a day at the amusement park or go away on vacation.

Everything. Was. Closed.

It felt isolating didn’t it?

Now I want you to imagine for a moment that ALL of those places are OPEN.

But you still CAN’T go.

Imagine if there were barriers that prevented you from leaving your house.

What would you do if you couldn’t go out in public with your family because there were no accessible restrooms?

Nowhere for your son to use the restroom in a safe, private and dignified space.

Many places are trying to be more inclusive and we truly appreciate the efforts that are being made.

However, without an accessible restroom with an adult sized changing table, many families aren’t able to travel, enjoy time out in their community or even take a quick trip to the local mall.

We are forgetting our most vulnerable population.

Our elderly loved ones, our disabled veterans, your friend who uses a wheelchair, your neighbor’s daughter with spina bifida, your cousin with cerebral palsy, your father who suffered a stroke, your son with epilepsy or your nephew with complex medical needs.

Millions of families across our country are still confined at home or extremely limited where they can go in public.

Our family being one of them.

Advocating for an accessible restroom with a universally designed changing table is not asking for special treatment.

Using the restroom is a basic human right and it’s denied to individuals every singe day.

As the world starts going back to some sort of normalcy, please remember this.

There are many people who are still at home wishing they could enjoy a day out with their families.

Maybe one day, changing on dirty restroom floors is a thing of the past and inclusive restrooms are easily accessible.

And our loved ones will be able to live their lives to the fullest, exploring the world around them.