Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
CBS Minnesota
Minnesota woman leads charge on new law requiring adult changing tables in U.S. airports
By Susan-Elizabeth Littlefield,
2024-05-27
Federal law now requires adult changing tables in all airport restrooms 03:25
MINNEAPOLIS — Linda Hood is always on the move. She's a marathoner who has climbed Mount Kilimanjaro. In 2018, quadriplegia changed her body, but her will is the same — especially after she realized the basic task of using a public restroom was now alarmingingly complicated.
"We got on the floor and it was wet. It was cold. It was filthy," Hood said. "It was awful and I looked at my husband and thought, this is disgusting."
Babies have changing tables, and so she wondered, why don't kids and adults?
Hood got to work, getting the first adult changing table in U.S. Bank Stadium , helping push for the first one at the Minnesota State Fair . Now it's law in Minnesota for changing tables to be in large, public new builds.
WCCO
This month, Hood set her sights on Washington to talk specifically about airport bathrooms.
"All I could do is say, 'When are they going to listen? I need someone to hear me,'" she said.
And listen they did. Hood says she was warmly greeted by Minnesota congressmembers Betty McCollum and Dean Philips, where she explained the experiences of friends like Prince Cole, a Minnesotan and native Liberian who wants badly to visit home more often.
"Every time I go to the airport, I get huge anxiety. My anxiety is around the bathroom," Philips said. "You have to get changed and get changed on the floor so some people would rather stay at home than go through that. A humiliating experience."
Hood fought back against the norm and the Senate passed the bill. It's soon to be law to have adult changing tables in U.S. airports.
"I got results and if I could have jumped out of this chair and jumped to the moon, I would have done it," Hood said. "I had that much energy and that much joy. I was elated. It made me feel so good and I Just wanted to hug everyone in Washington and say, 'Well done, good and faithful servants.'"
The Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport already has two adult changing tables, one in Concourse D and the other near baggage claim.
"When I found out the change was coming, I was like, 'Thank God for Linda,'" Philips said.
Hood's next mission is to broaden federal law and she is prompting the International Olympic Committee to have adult changing tables at their venues.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.
Comments / 0