Ros Lawler, the National Portrait Gallery’s chief operations officer, explains why providing accessible toilets at the art institution was critical in serving the needs of visitors.

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What made you install a CP (Changing Places toilet) facility at the NPG?

The National Portrait Gallery is home to the world’s largest collection of portraits, so it’s essential that our spaces, collection and facilities are accessible to everyone who chooses to spend time with us. During our three years of closure, an important aim of our transformation project was to ensure certain physical changes were made to our Grade I listed building to ensure suitability for a wide range of visitors. Installing a Changing Places toilet was one of these changes, providing guaranteed accessibility for all.

Has the number of standard toilets been reduced to accommodate the CP at the gallery?

We are committed to making our buildings, exhibitions, services and programme as accessible and inclusive as possible, removing and reducing barriers to visiting us. The refurbishment of the Gallery has increased the total number of toilets by 6%, with both separate male and female toilet facilities on floor 4, universal toilets on floors -2 and -3, and a Changing Places toilet on floor -2. This combination offers flexibility and amenities suitable for a wide range of visitors.

What do you think could be done to encourage other public places to install CP facilities? 

An estimated quarter of a million people in the UK require use of a Changing Places facility when visiting public places, so by including one, venues open their doors to a wider group of people who may not have ever been able to visit otherwise. Changing Places facilities help break down barriers, making visits to public places more inclusive and accessible.

How has the reaction been from visitors so far?

The new Gallery has been hugely popular since our return in June 2023. We’ve already surpassed 1.4million visitors, and are experiencing a record year. We’ve seen a significant uplift in visitors with a disability since the Gallery reopened in June 2023, increasing by over 350%. This really demonstrates to me that our commitment to physical change has encouraged many more people to engage with our world-class Collection and has given them the confidence to spend time in our building.

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