AN ADULT CHANGING TABLE WAS RECENTLY INSTALLED IN THE FAMILY RESTROOM NEAR JAMBO GRILL AT THE PITTSBURGH ZOO & AQUARIUM THANKS TO THE ABERNETHY FAMILY AND A DONATION FROM MAX-ABILITY. | PHOTO BY CHRISTINA ABERNETHY

Twelve-year-old Ethan Abernethy of the North Hills loves the elephants at the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium.

Thanks to advocacy work by his parents, Christina and Jesse, and a generous donation by MAX-Ability, the pre-teen will soon be able to return to the zoo to watch the majestic animals meander through the African Savanna.

Ethan is autistic and lives with disabilities that prevent him from using the restroom independently. His parents have been lobbying for years to have adult changing tables installed in restrooms at larger venues in the region, such as the zoo, and across the state to allow families to enjoy outings together.

Without the tables, families are forced to change loved ones on towels placed on dirty bathroom floors or in their cars or outside while attempting to hide them from public view.

A power-operated, height adjustable Pressalit VersaMax adult changing table, with a weight limit of 441 pounds, was recently added to a family restroom in the zoo’s Animal Care Center, close to the Islands and Jambo Grill.

“It just means so much. Our family in particular hasn’t been able to go to the zoo since Ethan was 3 or 4,” Christina says. “Even though he loves the animals, we couldn’t keep going without something safe in place for him. It’s not dignified, and it’s not private. He deserves human dignity just like everyone else.” 

The Abernethy family has been working with Darrell Burnette, vice president of MAX-Ability, for years to help bring a table to the zoo. 

Christina adds it was tough to find space for it because existing restroom facilities could not be retrofitted to accommodate the table. Once a newer bathroom was built, the zoo had the space to install the table.

The mom of three and co-founder of Love Hope & Autism is the coordinator of the Pennsylvania chapter of the Changing Spaces Campaign. With their work, they have also been able to lobby for tables at Pittsburgh International Airport, PNC Park, the National Aviary, MuseumLab at the Children’s Museum of Pittsburgh, the Carnegie Science Center and Wightman Park in Squirrel Hill, among others.

The Changing Spaces Campaign includes an interactive map on its website for families to find the tables in their travels.

The Abernethy family’s next goal is to bring one of the tables to Acrisure Stadium.

They have also appealed to local legislators to create House Bill 193 and Senate Bill 873 to require larger venues and highway rest stops to have at least one adult changing table in their restrooms. The bills are in need of more cosponsors.

Alex Cauley, public relations and media manager for the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium, says the zoo as a whole is grateful for the donation and Christina’s work.

“This not only makes our zoo more accessible, but it makes it more equitable and provides a safer experience for all of our guests,” she says.

Cauley also says the area with the family restroom is adjacent to the zoo’s new family room that provides families with a quiet area for loved ones with sensory needs or nursing mothers seeking privacy.

A Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion committee was launched at the zoo this year to help increase accessibility at the preserve.

The staff is also finalizing the zoo’s master plan that outlines how the zoo will move forward with future accessibility projects. 

Christina says she and her family are proud of the strides the Pittsburgh region is making in accessibility.

“The airport’s table was the seventh airport in the nation to get one and PNC Park was the third in the MLB to add one. Our city is one of the few cities in the country doing this work, and we are grateful for every table that has gone in and continues to go in. This one piece of equipment can make such a huge impact on the community, state and nation. It’s truly life changing for families.”