Madison, WI – Earlier this week, the State Capitol and Executive Residence Board (SCERB) voted unanimously to install universal changing stations into the Wisconsin State Capitol. Earlier in the legislative session, Senator Melissa Agard (D-Madison) and Representative Robyn Vining (D-Wauwatosa) introduced AB 709 which requires certain buildings to include at least one single-occupant restroom with an adult-sized changing stations, and creates a tax credit for small businesses to install these stations.
Senator Melissa Agard celebrated the SCERB action:
“It’s imperative that public buildings, including the State Capitol, are accessible for everyone. We all deserve the same access to public spaces, and access to bathrooms should not prevent anyone from visiting our State Capitol. I’m proud to be a part of the unanimous vote to install universal changing stations in the State Capitol, and will continue to work for accessibility across the state of Wisconsin,” said Agard.
Representative Robyn Vining joined Senator Agard in applauding this step forward:
“The Wisconsin State Capitol is ‘The People’s House,’ and The People’s House must be accessible for all the people. Senator Agard and I are celebrating today one more important step in that direction! When the buildings don’t work for the people, the people do not go to the buildings, and for a long time in Wisconsin, that’s included the State Capitol. The lack of a universal changing station in the State Capitol has meant students are unable to join their class to visit, families are unable to visit, and the People’s House has not been accessible to everyBODY. But this is going to change, and this is a change worth celebrating,” Rep. Vining stated.
“I want to thank Brookfield mother Sarah Knowles for her tenacious advocacy, Senator Melissa Agard for her partnership in the state Senate, DOA for their hard work designing the changes, and the SCERB board for their unanimous support. Universal Changing Station accessibility is both a public health, and a human dignity issue. May we continue to work forward toward a world that is accessible for everyBODY.”
