Changing Spaces Tennessee
Chrissy Beasley Hood is a Governor Appointed member of the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities, Co-chapter Lead of Changing Spaces TN. This is a chapter of the United States movement Changing Spaces and an offspring of the UK based campaign Changing Places.
The Back Story
Chrissy Hood lives in Pulaski, TN. She grew up in Alabama and moved to Tennessee during college. She and her husband Kevin have 3 daughters, 2 son in laws, a dog, and a cat. Their youngest, Alaina, is one of the happiest people you will ever meet. She loves honeybuns, watching sports and being around people. She has autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and multiple medical conditions all caused by a rare genetic disorder called Phelan-McDermid Syndrome. Alaina outgrew baby changing tables around the age of 5 and her family have struggled to find her a hygienic place to change her when away from their home.
Kevin, Chrissy and Alaina Hood
This gave impetus for Chrissy's advocacy to legislate for height-adjustable adult changing tables in the State of Tennessee so that individuals with disabilities could participate and be fully included in their community.
Bill HJR755 becomes Reality
As off April 29, 2022 there is $1 million in grant money available through the TN Dept of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities for organizations and businesses throughout the State to install powdered height adjustable adult changing tables in their public family restrooms in place of baby changing tables. TDEC (Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation) the agency that oversees State Parks in Tennessee has agreed to install height adjustable adult changing tables in family restrooms by 2030.
The application process to apply for the grant is super easy with just 8 questions to answer. The link to the grant https://www.tn.gov/didd/for-consumers/adult-size-changing-tables.html
TDOT (Tennessee Department of Transportation) is installing height adjustable adult changing tables in family restrooms at all their welcome centers and rest stops. The first 4 will be installed at:
I-75 Welcome Center, Hamilton County, I-65 Welcome Center, Robertson County I-40W Welcome Center, Haywood County and I-81S Rest Area, Jefferson County
Bill signing for HJR755 with Governor Bill Lee
Transcript
Marsh Naidoo:
Hi guys. Welcome to the Raising Kellan podcast. My name is Marsh Naidoo and I blog at raisingkellan.org, where we curate resources for parents raising children with developmental delay and disabilities.
As always, remember, the information provided on this podcast is purely educational and, if you are seeking advice for your specific situation, to always contact a trained professional.
In today's Episode 72, I am joined by Chrissy Beasley Hood, who is co-chair of Changing Spaces Tennessee. So grab your cup of coffee, put your feet up and get ready for some awesome conversation.
Chrissy Hood is a governor-appointed member of the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities and co-chapter lead for Changing Spaces Tennessee. She is also the founder of Connecting the Journey, which is a special needs support group. But most importantly, she is a mom to three amazing daughters. Her youngest is 19 and has multiple disabilities. She has worked over for the last two years on legislation to get height-adjustable adult changing tables in Tennessee so those who have outgrown baby changing tables can have hygienic toileting experiences outside the home.
Welcome to the Raising Kellan podcast, Chrissy.
Chrissy Hood:
Thank you for having me.
Marsh Naidoo:
Chrissy, can you tell me just a little something about yourself and Alaina, and what led to getting this piece of legislation going?
Chrissy Hood:
Okay. Well, first and foremost, I'm just a mom, just like everyone else. I have a daughter. Our youngest daughter has multiple disabilities and so that is my connection to the disability community and why I began to advocate for adult changing tables.
Alaina is very happy. She loves to be around people and she has the most contagious smile. She loves honey buns. She absolutely loves to dance to the credits at the end of movies and she really enjoys being out in her community and watching sports.
Alaina has autism, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, is non-speaking and has various medical conditions. They are all caused by a rare genetic condition called Phelan McDermid Syndrome. She is just the joy of our world. She has two sisters, who have two amazing husbands as well, that are big advocates for her and for the disability community.
Marsh Naidoo:
What was the actual prompt to get the legislation going? Walk us through the motivation and the push and how you guys initiated this change to try and get the adult changing tables out to the various facilities in the community.
Chrissy Hood:
Okay. Alaina outgrew baby changing tables probably about 15 years ago and baby changing tables are fabulous for babies. But we have to remember that individuals with disabilities continue to grow and get larger and get bigger and so that need was there for us.
We were having to change Alaina on a bathroom floor, a public restroom floor, which is the same place that we, women, do not want to sit our purses because of the germs, but yet we were having to change our daughter there. Or we stayed home or we took her out to the van and changed her on the floor of our van, or we just had to go home. So we didn't have a lot of options there for changing her and so that was a huge need that we had.
Started out just talking about it on social media and just educating people around, but it really wasn't getting anywhere. I was sharing our story, but it wasn't really being heard.
But when I was appointed to the Council on Developmental Disabilities, right after my orientation, I went to Lauren Pearcy who, at the time, was the policy director. I talked with her and let her know that we had this need, that our family had this need, and she listened. She listened intently and we discussed things over the course of some time.
Then a fellow council member Roddey Coe from the Chattanooga area, walked into a restaurant in a public restroom in a restaurant and saw a man probably in his 30s being changed on the public restroom floor so which prompted him to get involved.
So between the two of us and Lauren, we really started working on things and so when we went to Disability Day on the Hill, we talked to our legislators. I shared our personal story. Alaina and her dad, my husband, we went and talked to our legislators and Roddey went and talked from a perspective of a citizen who had seen someone being changed.
Things just kind of evolved from there. My state representative Clay Doggett signed on as our house sponsor and Roddey Senator Bo Watson signed on as the Senate sponsor. So we worked on a bill and it was a bill that mandated that businesses that were doing new construction or renovation of like $10,000 or more would have to put those in. We really weren't getting anywhere. We were sent to summer study and just really were not making progress.
But in December, we had a meeting with representative Doggett and we discussed a grant program and starting to do a grant and change our legislation from a mandate to, "Here's the money to do what needs to be done." We also included asking for welcome centers and rest stops through TDOT and asking for the state parks through TDECC and so things just kind of evolved from there.
Marsh Naidoo:
That is just an amazing story of advocacy and how you guys did the grassroots work in order to get the changes that Alaina needed. Not only Alaina, but other individuals with disabilities throughout Tennessee.
The neat thing, from my understanding with the adult changing tables being in rest stops, it's not only serving those that are in the State of Tennessee, but also those traveling through. Please tell me, Chrissy, a little more about Changing Spaces and that organization as well.
Chrissy Hood:
Changing Spaces was actually grassroot that was brought into the United States and most states have their own chapter. Now there are several states across the United States that do not have a chapter, but we all work together. We help each other. We share ideas and thoughts.
The idea is to get height-adjustable adult-size changing tables in family restrooms. So by being in a family restroom, this allows dads to take their daughters in, daughters to take their dads in, and spouses to take one another in to be changed. But also because it is that universal design on those changing tables, they accommodate infants through senior adults.
So then if you have an adult changing table in a restaurant, excuse me, in a restroom, in a family restroom, then you don't have to put in that baby changing table in the men's restroom and then the women's restroom. You have that one table that accommodates all ages and sizes, and it just makes it a lot easier and a lot more hygienic, but also dignified in being able to change your loved one and not exposing them to anyone coming into the restrooms.
Marsh Naidoo:
Chrissy, tell us a little bit about the grant that is now available to businesses to actually do the change over to the adults changing tables.
Chrissy Hood:
Well, first of all, initially, we only asked for $500,000 for this grant program, but the general assembly came back and they doubled that amount, which was unheard of. So we have $1 million in grant funds to be used across the State of Tennessee so that means 200 height-adjustable adult size change tables can be put out across the state.
There are eight simple questions that you can go on... You go to DIDD, which is the Department of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities. You go to their website and you fill out the little questionnaire, with eight simple questions. Fill it out, hit Submit, and then they will be in contact with you.
Basically, it's an adult changing table and it's a family or a single-occupancy restroom. There are not a lot of criteria to it. It needs to be open to the public and, as I said, it's very simple. You don't have to sit down and write your own grant. You just fill out that questionnaire and hit Submit.
Marsh Naidoo:
Chrissy, so who is it that you are really wanting to come forward to apply for this grant? What are the types of places that you guys are looking to attract, so to speak?
Chrissy Hood:
We're thinking about places that accommodate people in the community so that could be a local business, a local municipality, or something along those lines.
For us here in Pulaski, our recreation center has put one in and our recreation center is open from 8:00 AM to 9:00 PM. We are a small rural area so this is a location that, even if you're not frequenting the rec center or using it at that time, you can travel over to the rec center and go in and change, rather than having to go home or change in the car or something.
So we want places that people frequent. Maybe there's a place in your community that's like the central location, where you have lots of activities and lots of events and you know that the only way your family can attend this event, or an event at this facility, or to shop at this place is if they have somewhere to accommodate your loved one that you're caring for. So anywhere that's open to the public, we encourage you, please, apply for this grant. We really want to see these tables spread out across the entire state.
Marsh Naidoo:
Chrissy, I first heard about the work that you, guys, were doing in an interview with the Tennessee Disability Coalition, but also Ms. Cathlyn Smith from the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities came on, on Episode 60. That was when they talked about the Partners in Policymaking Program. Is that a program that you would advocate for as a parent?
Chrissy Hood:
Absolutely. Absolutely, and I have to do a big shout-out first to the Tennessee Disability Coalition. We are so fortunate in Tennessee that all of our disability organizations and agencies work together for the betterment of the state and for individuals with disabilities. The Disability Coalition is one of those that has been wonderful to walk with us and help us throughout this entire process.
But yes, to answer your question, absolutely. I just graduated from the Partners in Policymaking Class, and I learned a great deal. I learned so much about policy and just about the resources and things available here in the State. So I highly encourage any family member, or an individual with a disability themselves, to apply for this class and participate in it. It's several months long, it is a big commitment. But you come out with so much knowledge and the networking that you do with your other classmates is phenomenal.
Marsh Naidoo:
Chrissy, that's like an ongoing program as well. So what I'm saying is that if you're unable to do it in a specific calendar year, you can always apply for it a year later down the line.
But talking about the Tennessee Disability Coalition, I have a little challenge for you, if you are agreeable to it. I have a visitor, as you can see back here. This is Marshall, the goose from the Tennessee Disability Coalition that is going to be traveling statewide. As you mentioned, the coalition does amazing work, and I would like to just read you this tagline. It's "In this together, the lifting power of many wings achieves twice the distance of flying alone." It speaks to exactly what we've just talked about.
So if you would accept the challenge, I would love to send Marshall to you for a little visit. Then what the coalition does is that they will then pass it on to the next member. This basically is to kind of grow the support for the advocacy work being done for kids like Kellan and kids like Alaina as well. So would you accept the challenge?
Chrissy Hood:
Absolutely. I would love to have Marshall come visit us.
Marsh Naidoo:
Okay. So Marshall is heading to Pulaski, Tennessee.
I just really appreciate you taking the time, Chrissy, to talk to us this morning, and thank you for letting us know about Changing Spaces Tennessee. This, guys, is a Facebook group as well, and a Facebook page.
Is there any other way that parents could contact you, Chrissy if need be?
Chrissy Hood:
You can email me. My email is connectingthejourney@gmail.com and I would be glad to help you in any way, speak to any businesses or organizations, or anything in your community about installing, and the need for installing, the height-adjustable adult size changing tables.
You can go to DIDD's website, and they have a link to the application and the information regarding the grant. You can go on there, answer those simple questions, and hit Submit.
The Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities and DIDD are working together closely on this. You can go to the Tennessee Council on Developmental Disabilities website. Across the top of that in the little thing that loops through, they have the billboard that they took out and put across the state because everyone deserves dignity. So you can click on there and that will also help you find information. Brian Keller and Lauren Pearcy, the comms staff, and everyone at the Council on Developmental Disabilities is there to help you and will do anything they can.
And, please, reach out and contact me if you have questions or need more information. We want to see this grant money used and we want to see changing tables all across the state. Not just in our welcome centers and rest stops and parks, but in our businesses and our local municipalities.
Marsh Naidoo:
A quick question, how would it work for something like the FedEx Forum? I mean, would the same rule apply or...
Chrissy Hood:
Yes, ma'am. Yes, so they would have restrooms. Any place that has a public restroom, can apply for the grant. They're open to the public
Marsh Naidoo:
So they would be eligible, they would be.
Chrissy Hood:
Yes, yes. And we would love to see those in places like the Titan Stadium and we'd like to see the Titans and the Predators and the soccer leagues and all of these sports complexes. Alaina loves sports, but we can't take her to these professional events because there's nowhere to change her and the parking is so far away that we can't take her out to the car to change her, either.
So we would love to see all of these Bridgestone and all these places, even the concert venues, apply for the grant. Put the changing tables in. You will be surprised at how many people will soon be able to visit your business or your venue because you have provided an accessible, dignified toileting experience for them.
Marsh Naidoo:
Chrissy, you have an amazing rest of your day. Thank you so much again for joining us and we look forward to seeing you soon Marshall is on his way to you.
Chrissy Hood:
Thank you so much.
Marsh Naidoo:
Thank you for listening along with us today. To check out more about the work being done as far as installing the adult changing tables in Tennessee, look at Chrissy's page, which is Changing Spaces Tennessee. That's a Facebook page.
If you're needing more information about the grant, that is available on the DIDD website, as well as the Tennessee Council on Developmental Delays website.
If you are listening to this episode on your podcast player, please leave a rating and a review. It would be highly appreciated and also sharing it with your friends that would find this material beneficial.
Well, guys, until we see you all the next time, let's always remember, to get to the top of your mountain. This is Marsh Naidoo signing off.