A vision for traveling with dignity: Iowa DOT honored for adult changing spaces initiative

Across Iowa’s interstate system, there’s been a powerful transformation underway with Iowa Department of Transportation rest areas for residents and visitors – one that speaks volumes about dignity, inclusion, and compassion.

As the Iowa DOT began replacing Iowa's oldest rest areas in 2021 with new and technologically-equipped rest areas to meet the changing needs of motorists, plans have included accommodations for families and caregivers traveling with individuals with significant disabilities.

Honoring these efforts, the Arc of Iowa recently named the Iowa DOT as the recipient of the Julie and Katie Beckett Advocacy Award, in recognition of its groundbreaking Adult Changing Spaces initiative.  Arc of Iowa is part of a national organization, The Arc, which is the largest community-based organization in the country that is advocating for and with people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and their families.

A Challenge to meet most basic needs

For many, a road trip is often as simple as packing a bag and hitting the highway. But for families caring for older children or adults with disabilities, travel can be a daunting challenge that requires extra planning especially when it comes to something as basic as stopping to use a restroom.

While most public restrooms meet Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) standards for wheelchair access, they often fall short of meeting the needs of individuals who require assistance and adult-sized, height-adjustable changing tables.

This gap in accessibility has long gone unaddressed in public transportation infrastructure, leaving families with few, if any, dignified options while traveling. Several years ago, Iowa DOT engineers and planners heard from impacted families and other advocates who shared their challenges and needs.

The result? A bold, statewide initiative to install height-adjustable, adult-size changing tables in all new rest areas currently under construction – and several more that are undergoing renovations. These upgraded restrooms are providing private, sanitary, and dignified spaces for individuals who need assistance – spaces that have long been missing from the roadways.

Recognition for a legacy of advocacy

The Arc of Iowa’s Julie and Katie Beckett Advocacy Award is named in honor of two of Iowa’s most influential disability rights advocates. Julie and her disabled daughter Katie helped transform national policy through their mission to create awareness for people with disabilities who deserve to live with dignity, access, and support.

The Executive Director of The Arc of Iowa, Doug Cunningham, expressed deep appreciation for the Iowa DOT’s efforts.  “Your work to expand changing spaces – installing adult-sized changing stations in rest areas and public facilities – is transforming what freedom, dignity, and community inclusion looks like for Iowans with disabilities and their families. These are not just accommodations; they are life-changing acts of respect.”

Cunningham pointed out that the department’s work carries the legacy of Julie and Katie Beckett forward by ensuring that travel across Iowa is safer, more equitable, and more humane for all. “Thank you for leading by example, for putting people first, and for helping make Iowa a place where everyone can travel with dignity.”

The Iowa DOT’s Design Bureau Director Kent Nicholson, who is one member of the multidisciplinary rest area team, accepted

the award on behalf of the agency, and is proud of the work that has shaped the agency’s approach to advanced accessibility.

“This initiative is more than a construction project, it’s a statement. It says that we value every Iowan and visitor to our state with disabilities, and we’re working to provide the freedom to travel, to explore, and to participate in public life without barriers to the most basic needs.”

Accommodating everyone on Iowa’s roads

As a front-runner in rest area accessibility designs, the department’s vision for adult changing accommodations didn’t stop at new construction. According to Iowa DOT Rest Area Administrator David Bollenbaugh, there are a total of 23 rest area buildings along interstates that feature the adult changing stations. They are located at:

* Undergoing retrofitting

Equally as important, the agency is currently retrofitting five rest area buildings. Those undergoing upgrades include Wilton eastbound and westbound, Victor westbound, and Northwood northbound and southbound.

As these new adult changing spaces begin to appear in more rest areas across Iowa, they will open doors – literally and figuratively – for countless families. They will make it possible for people with disabilities to travel knowing that their needs have been seen, heard, and respected.

The Iowa DOT’s adult changing spaces initiative is a shining example of how public service is guided by empathy and action. It’s a reminder that accessibility is not just about compliance – it’s about compassion. It’s proof again that when our planning helps solve human needs, whether large or small, we can make lives better through transportation.

Travelers can find rest area amenities on the 511 Iowa Traveler Information System map. By clicking on a rest stop, details of amenities will appear in the form of icons. To learn more about Iowa’s rest area system and access an interactive rest area map, visit: Rest Areas | Department of Transportation