The first time I realized the world wasn’t built for my daughter, my heart shattered.

Amoree is thirteen years old, full of life and love, but she is NOW also wheelchair-dependent. She cannot stand on her own, which means that something as simple as changing her diaper requires her to be lying flat on a bed. It wasn’t always like this. There was a time when I could manage, maneuvering her tiny frame in store bathrooms, making do with whatever space was available. But Amoree has grown. She is the size of a grown woman now, and public restrooms—designed with only infants in mind—have become an impossible obstacle.

I stopped taking her to stores when this happened.

I can’t count the number of times I’ve had to leave a place early because there was no safe space to take care of my daughter’s needs. No changing table that would support her body. No room that offered privacy, dignity, or even basic accommodation. The frustration, the helplessness, the pain of knowing that my child, my beautiful, deserving child, is simply not considered in public spaces—it’s a feeling no mother should have to carry.

We are not alone. There are countless families like mine, children and adults who are left out of society because no one thought about them when designing these spaces. A simple solution exists—an adult changing room with a twin-sized changing bed. A place where caregivers like me can care for our loved ones without stress, without having to lay them on a dirty bathroom floor, without being forced to leave a place altogether.

This is about more than convenience. This is about dignity.

My life has changed in ways I never expected, but my love for my daughter will always drive me to advocate for her and others like her. Businesses, stores, public places—we need you to hear us. To see us. To understand that inclusion is not a privilege; it’s a right.

 Every individual deserves dignity, respect, and accessibility in public spaces—including when it comes to basic human needs. Currently, NO stores in Baton Rouge, Louisiana provide adult-size changing rooms, leaving countless individuals, including teenagers, adults with disabilities, and elderly individuals, without a safe and sanitary place for personal care.

Standard restroom changing tables are designed for infants and cannot support the weight or size of an adult or teenager. This forces caregivers to make an impossible choice—either attempt to change their loved ones in unsafe conditions,  leave the store or, heartbreakingly, resort to placing them on the unsanitary bathroom floor. No person should have to experience such indignity simply to handle a basic function of life.

Let’s make a change. Let’s build a world where families like mine don’t have to choose between participating in society and caring for our children with dignity.

Some have publicly committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI), and one of the most impactful ways to uphold this commitment is by ensuring that all members of the community, regardless of their physical needs, can shop and exist in their spaces with equal dignity. Installing adult-size changing rooms would be a significant step toward creating an inclusive environment where ALL individuals and their caregivers feel valued and accommodated.

Will you help?

We, the undersigned, urge public places to take immediate action and install adult-size changing stations or rooms in their stores, ensuring that individuals of all abilities and ages can access their facilities with the respect and care they deserve.

Please sign this petition today to show your support for a more inclusive, accessible bathroom—because everyone deserves dignity!