Hempstead Town proposal would require adult changing tables in some large buildings
Owners of large buildings in the Town of Hempstead with public restrooms would soon have to install adult-sized changing tables for people with disabilities, under a proposed change in the town code announced at a news conference Friday at Town Hall.
The measure would apply to property owners of buildings with at least 100,000 square feet above ground that have a public restroom as well as certain buildings with capacities of 2,000 people or more including auditoriums, convention centers, cultural complexes, exhibition halls, permanent amusement parks, sports arenas, movie houses and hospitals.
Councilwoman Melissa Miller, whose adult son Oliver is disabled, said the proposed mandate was about dignity.
“How do you put a price tag on whether it’s dignified to have to lay my child on the floor to change him?” Miller said. “Or an adult? What if you have a husband or a wife and you have to put them on the floor?”
The new code, if adopted, would take effect on Jan. 1, 2026, according to a draft of the resolution provided by the town. The town board plans to hold a hearing on the proposal on Dec. 5.
Pat Quinn, community outreach manager for Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau, said adding an adult changing room would help disabled adults and their caregivers.
“The average person it doesn’t even enter their mind but for the families that deal with this or even an individual themselves, it’s such a worry,” Quinn said.
The adult changing stations would be in an enclosed space and include a free-standing or wall-mounted horizontal flat surface that could be used for diapering an adult weighing at least up to 250 pounds, according to the draft resolution. The changing table would need to be padded, between 32 to 36 inches off the floor and either be equipped with a roll of examination table paper or have a sanitation system to clean the surface, the draft resolution said.
Affected landlords, not tenants, would be required to provide a single adult changing station in their building. The town hasn’t compiled information on how many properties the proposal would affect, Town Supervisor Don Clavin said. Miller said the town has not discussed the issue with landlords.
“We haven’t had any communication on that yet,” Miller said. “The landlord of this huge building that has public space, we’re asking them to do something that could be a few hundred dollars.”
Mechael Wright-Hodges, president of the Town of Hempstead Chamber of Commerce said the proposal could add costs to owners of properties for facilities that might never be used.
Wright-Hodges said she expects some landlords will voice opposition to the proposal.
“They will stand their ground and say, ‘But I’m not servicing anyone who’s going to be using it so why do I have to do it?’” she said.
Owners of large buildings in the Town of Hempstead with public restrooms would soon have to install adult-sized changing tables for people with disabilities, under a proposed change in the town code announced at a news conference Friday at Town Hall.
The measure would apply to property owners of buildings with at least 100,000 square feet above ground that have a public restroom as well as certain buildings with capacities of 2,000 people or more including auditoriums, convention centers, cultural complexes, exhibition halls, permanent amusement parks, sports arenas, movie houses and hospitals.
Councilwoman Melissa Miller, whose adult son Oliver is disabled, said the proposed mandate was about dignity.
“How do you put a price tag on whether it’s dignified to have to lay my child on the floor to change him?” Miller said. “Or an adult? What if you have a husband or a wife and you have to put them on the floor?”
The new code, if adopted, would take effect on Jan. 1, 2026, according to a draft of the resolution provided by the town. The town board plans to hold a hearing on the proposal on Dec. 5.
Pat Quinn, community outreach manager for Cerebral Palsy Association of Nassau, said adding an adult changing room would help disabled adults and their caregivers.
“The average person it doesn’t even enter their mind but for the families that deal with this or even an individual themselves, it’s such a worry,” Quinn said.
The adult changing stations would be in an enclosed space and include a free-standing or wall-mounted horizontal flat surface that could be used for diapering an adult weighing at least up to 250 pounds, according to the draft resolution. The changing table would need to be padded, between 32 to 36 inches off the floor and either be equipped with a roll of examination table paper or have a sanitation system to clean the surface, the draft resolution said.
Affected landlords, not tenants, would be required to provide a single adult changing station in their building. The town hasn’t compiled information on how many properties the proposal would affect, Town Supervisor Don Clavin said. Miller said the town has not discussed the issue with landlords.
“We haven’t had any communication on that yet,” Miller said. “The landlord of this huge building that has public space, we’re asking them to do something that could be a few hundred dollars.”
Mechael Wright-Hodges, president of the Town of Hempstead Chamber of Commerce said the proposal could add costs to owners of properties for facilities that might never be used.
Wright-Hodges said she expects some landlords will voice opposition to the proposal.
“They will stand their ground and say, ‘But I’m not servicing anyone who’s going to be using it so why do I have to do it?’” she said.
'I'm going to try to avoid it' A trip to the emergency room in a Long Island hospital now averages nearly 4 hours, data shows. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.
'I'm going to try to avoid it' A trip to the emergency room in a Long Island hospital now averages nearly 4 hours, data shows. NewsdayTV's Virginia Huie reports.
