If I cannot use the toilet, I cannot think: Antoniett puts accessibility on Denmark’s political agenda. Using the toilet should be a basic expectation. But for Antoniett Vebel Pharao, the lack of accessible toilets has affected her education, career, health and ability to participate in society. Her story is now making Denmark confront an issue that has been overlooked for far too long.
Antoniett is not asking for special treatment. She is asking for somewhere to use the toilet.
Yet this simple need has proved so difficult to meet that, with a mixture of humour and seriousness, she explains what she puts on her Christmas wish list every year:
“Every Christmas, I wish for a penis.”
Her point is as simple as it is uncomfortable. Using the toilet would be easier for Antoniett if she were a man. As a woman and wheelchair user who requires a ceiling hoist, she often has no practical options when she leaves home.
That is why she is asking for the next best thing: More publicly accessible toilets equipped to meet her needs and those of others.
In coverage by Danish public broadcaster DR and during an appearance on Signe Molde’s Roadshow, Antoniett describes a reality familiar to many disabled people: Participation in society can be limited by something as fundamental as access to a toilet.
Read DR’s article about Antoniett.
Five years at university. One recurring question.
Antoniett is trained in educational sociology. She has completed a university degree and developed skills that should benefit employers and society. But during her studies, the biggest challenge was not always academic.
“I spent five years at university trying to convince them to provide a toilet I could actually use.”
The consequences were practical and immediate:
“I spent my time at university choosing between holding it in and eating lunch. There was not really enough time to use the toilet.”
Imagine having to choose between eating and going to the toilet. Imagine planning your entire day around how long your body can wait. Imagine completing your education depending on whether someone considered installing a ceiling hoist. This is a matter of equal access to education.
“Somewhere I can use the toilet”
When Antoniett was looking for work, her employment adviser asked where she wanted to work. Her answer was immediate:
“Somewhere I can use the toilet.”
It was not the answer her adviser expected. But Antoniett explained:
“I have a range of skills and a university degree. But if I cannot use the toilet, I cannot think.”
Every employer, local councillor, property developer and decision-maker should reflect on those words. We talk about skills shortages. We talk about getting more disabled people into employment. We talk about diversity, recruitment and inclusive workplaces.
But a workplace does not become accessible simply because there is a ramp at the entrance. It becomes accessible when an employee can remain there for an entire working day.
Politicians listened. Now action must follow.
Antoniett shared her story with Danish politicians Franciska Rosenkilde, Inger Støjberg and Morten Dahlin. Their responses showed that the issue can bring together people from across the political spectrum.
Franciska Rosenkilde emphasised:
“I think it is incredibly important that, as a society, we create opportunities for everyone.”
Inger Støjberg highlighted the relationship between accessibility and employment:
“This is a genuine problem. It also affects our ability to make use of the skills that many disabled people have.”
Morten Dahlin was candid about his previous lack of awareness:
“Honestly, I had no idea it was such a significant problem.”
That acknowledgement matters. Many barriers remain because people who have never needed a ceiling hoist or an adult-sized changing bench rarely consider what is missing.
But once we recognise the problem, we can act.
Denmark has already taken the first steps
Denmark does not need to invent the solution. In 2025, the country’s first officially certified Changing Places toilet opened near the Planetarium in Copenhagen. The facility is outdoors and can be used without purchasing an admission ticket, although access requires a Eurokey. Equipment includes a ceiling hoist, a height-adjustable changing bench, support rails and an alarm. See information about the Changing Places toilet near the Planetarium.
Other positive Danish examples include:
LEGO House in Billund, which has a certified facility enabling more families to enjoy their visit.
LEGOLAND Billund, which has registered facilities near the entrance and in Pirate Land.
Pressalit’s headquarters in Ry, which shows how a Changing Places facility can be incorporated into a workplace and visitor environment.
Access arrangements vary. Some facilities follow the opening hours of their host attractions, while others require an admission ticket, access card or advance contact.
Denmark therefore still lacks a connected national network of accessible facilities that people can depend on in everyday life.
The United Kingdom demonstrates what is possible. The British Changing Places organisation currently lists 2,676 active registered facilities.
See the current total reported by Changing Places Toilets.
Denmark has started. Now its ambitions must grow.
Where life happens
Changing Places toilets are needed wherever life happens. At railway stations and airports. In libraries and cultural venues. At hospitals and universities. In shopping centres, sports facilities, festival grounds and visitor attractions. When the right facilities are available, a student can stay for the entire day. An employee can do their job. A family can enjoy an outing without having to return home after just a few hours.
And someone can attend a concert, meet friends or explore a new city without first asking:
How long can I hold on?
Changing Places Denmark works alongside Changing Places Nordic and colleagues in Sweden and Finland. The volunteers behind the effort include Lyndsay Jensen, Carina Varbjerg Olsen and Cora Valloire. Read Changing Places Denmark’s response to Antoniett’s story.
Do you have a space that could make a difference?
Does your municipality, business or organisation already have a toilet or changing room with lifting equipment and an adult-sized changing bench?
Are you planning a new building, cultural venue, transport hub, festival site or visitor attraction? Contact Changing Places Denmark.
Together, we can identify existing facilities, develop new ones and add more accessible locations to the map.
Register an existing facility or tell us about a planned project.
Find Changing Places toilets in Denmark and across the Nordic countries.
Thank you, Antoniett, for speaking about something that far too many people have endured in silence.
Accessibility is not only about being able to get inside.
It is also about being able to stay.