Licking County Board of Development Disabilities gets accessible restroom for summer events

From Staff Reports
·2 min read
A Momentum Refresh mobile restroom was available to guests at this year’s LCBDD Summer Kickoff at the Canal Market District on May 4. Seven people were able to use the vehicle for personal care and more than 40 people took a tour to learn more.
A Momentum Refresh mobile restroom was available to guests at this year’s LCBDD Summer Kickoff at the Canal Market District on May 4. Seven people were able to use the vehicle for personal care and more than 40 people took a tour to learn more.

The Licking County Board of Developmental Disabilities is working to make restrooms more accessible to adults and children with disabilities by partnering with Momentum Refresh to create mobile restrooms.

The vehicles, which are the size of a food truck, include a wheelchair lift, an adjustable changing table that can accommodate an adult, a ceiling hoist and an accessible toilet and sink. Trained staff members stay with the vehicle at all times to provide information and clean the space between uses, according to a news release from the board.

"We know that this is a need in our community and offering this option has benefits that go far beyond the population that we support," Superintendent and CEO Jason Umstot said in the release. "We are thrilled that our partnership with Momentum Refresh will allow people who often face barriers to enjoy these fairs and festivals with family and friends."

Each Momentum Refresh vehicle includes a wheelchair lift, a universal changing table that can accommodate adults, a build-in hoist and an accessible toilet and sink.
Each Momentum Refresh vehicle includes a wheelchair lift, a universal changing table that can accommodate adults, a build-in hoist and an accessible toilet and sink.

For the first time, the Momentum Refresh vehicle will be available to the public at the following Licking County summer events during the following times:

  • Utica Ice Cream Festival: Velvet Ice Cream’s Ye Olde Mill, 11324 Mount Vernon Road, Utica; 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. May 25 and 26 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. May 27, directly behind the main stage.

  • Newark Strawberry Festival: Downtown Newark, 100 E. Main St., Newark; 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. May 31 and June 1 and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. June 2 in the Wendy’s parking lot.

  • Granville Fourth of July fireworks: Wildwood Park, 785 W. Broadway, Granville; 7 to 11 p.m. July 5.

  • Pataskala Street Fair: South Main Street, Pataskala; noon to 11 p.m. Aug. 14-17 near the main portable restroom area.

The Licking County Board of DD is using $117,450 in American Rescue Plan Act funds from the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities to contract with Momentum Refresh. The board also plans to partner with community events by sponsoring the vehicle’s rental fee as future funding allows, the release states.

The board received more than $458,000 in ARPA funds and will be announcing more projects in the coming months that will increase inclusion and accessibility in Licking County, according to the release.

This article originally appeared on Newark Advocate: Licking County Board of DD brings accessible restroom to summer events