New adult changing table expands accessibility at Lake Pacawa Park

By Brandi Makuski

PLOVER — What started as a family recognizing a need has led to a new accessibility feature at Lake Pacawa Park that supporters hope will make life a little easier for families throughout central Wisconsin.

Village officials, community members, and representatives from Midstate Independent Living Choices gathered Wednesday for a ribbon-cutting ceremony celebrating the installation of an adult-sized changing table inside the family restroom near the park’s splash pad.

The project was spearheaded by Karen Trzebiatowski and her family, who approached village officials after realizing there were few places where older children and adults with disabilities could be safely and comfortably changed.

Standing in front of a covered pavilion near the park’s splash pad, Village Administrator Steve Kunst said the project reflects what can happen when residents identify a community need and work together to solve it.

“We knew what we wanted, but we didn’t know exactly how to get there,” Kunst said. “Karen and her family not only brought the idea forward, they helped find the funding and the partnerships to make it happen.”

Lake Pacawa Park has become one of Plover’s premier community gathering spaces following a multi-year, roughly $4 million redevelopment funded through tax increment financing and private donations.

The first phase of the project, completed in 2018, added a bandshell, a redesigned entrance and open green space for community events. Phase two, finished in 2022, transformed the waterfront with accessible kayak launches, fishing piers, improved walking paths and beach areas, expanded parking, and an inclusive playground featuring the splash pad.

Kunst said the adult changing table is a natural extension of those efforts.

“We really wanted this park to be inclusive and accessible,” he said. “Once people started using it, it became obvious there was another community need that we hadn’t addressed.”

As village officials began researching the idea, Kunst said they discovered adult changing tables remain relatively uncommon in Wisconsin. Some of the only examples they found were at major venues such as American Family Field in Milwaukee and Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

“It’s an expensive piece of equipment,” Kunst said, “but a really important piece to allow our park to do exactly what we set out to do.”

For many caregivers, standard baby changing stations simply aren’t an option.

“It’s not fair that some people have to be changed because they’re too large to fit on a baby changing table,” Trzebiatowski said. “There are many people in our community who will be able to use this.”

Trzebiatowski said her family spent several years raising money for the project, including pumpkin sales organized by her grandchildren.

“My grandkids had pumpkin sales for a couple years,” she said.

Those efforts raised about $7,000 to help pay for the changing table and supplemented funding from a grant secured through Midstate Independent Living Choices.

Trzebiatowski said the new table will allow families to spend a full day at the park without worrying about where they can safely care for a loved one.

“There’s going to be people that come to this park because of that,” she said. “They’re going to go somewhere that’s accessible so they can bring their child and spend the day.”

Alex Lena, independent living department manager for Midstate Independent Living Choices, said the organization helped fund the project through a state-supported accessibility initiative.

Midstate received a Livable Communities grant through the Wisconsin Department of Health Services in 2024 and partnered with Options for Independent Living in Green Bay to assess accessibility needs throughout parks and public spaces across the region. The grant included funding for projects that could make an immediate difference for people with disabilities and their families.

“This helps provide equal access to families and individuals,” Lena said. “People shouldn’t have to be changed on the floor. It gives people dignity.”

Kunst said the project demonstrates the impact local residents can have when they see a need and decide to do something about it.

“Their fingerprints are all over this park,” Kunst said of the Trzebiatowski family. “Every time there’s an opportunity to make something better for the community, they step up.”

The installation comes as work continues on the final phase of Lake Pacawa Park’s redevelopment. Construction began in August 2024 on six pickleball courts, additional parking, new lighting and infrastructure for future amenities. Village officials have also discussed potential water-safety improvements for Lake Pacawa.

The adult changing table is now available for public use in the family restroom near the splash pad.