The Times Are A-ChangingBy Caroline Filchak
As a part of Clipper Petroleum's ongoing service and convenience to our customers, we have introduced new universal changing tables in our stores. We recently provided details to GACS Today. GACS Today: What inspired the decision to install universal changing stations? Caroline Filchak: As a member of Clipper’s leadership team, I bring a unique perspective to my work. My middle child was born with multiple disabilities, and through raising her, I have learned a great deal about the needs of the disabled community. Installing universal changing tables is one way I have been able to take what I’ve learned from her and use my role to make a positive difference for our disabled customers and their families. While I may have brought the idea to the table, our retail team jumped on this idea, eager to make a difference. Lynn and her team executed this vision beautifully. GACS Today: As the first convenience store in the country to include universal changing stations, how does this fit into your overall approach to accessibility and inclusivity? CF: We want to serve all of our customers well and meet people where they are. Being a radically inclusive company means thinking about the needs of everyone who walks, rolls, or crawls through our doors, including customers with disabilities and the families and caregivers who support them. Adding a universal changing table is one way we are doing that. It helps make our stores more welcoming and allows customers to take care of basic needs in a safe, private, and respectful way. Another program we participate in at our stores is the fuel Service app. This app helps disabled drivers find and get assistance refueling their cars. We know we don’t have everything figured out and we are still learning. By listening to our customers and our communities, we will keep looking for more ways to improve accessibility and make our stores better for everyone. 
GACS Today: How has the adult changing station been received by customers since the store opened?
CF: We have heard some very meaningful feedback from customers. "An adult changing table would give our son privacy, cleanliness, and dignity, and it would give our family the freedom to travel with less fear and anxiety. It sends a powerful message that people with disabilities and the families who care for them are seen, respected, and welcome. Something that may seem small can make an enormous difference in the lives of families like ours." —Customer and father of a disabled adult who is a wheelchair user. "For us, an adult changing table is more than just convenience. It is a solution that we don’t have to create ourselves. It is ensuring that our journey isn’t a distraction from our destination. It is dignity for our daughter. It is a message that says that our daughter is just as important as anyone else." —Customer and mother of a disabled child. "As the parent of a disabled five-year-old who still requires diapering, I cannot adequately express how meaningful it is to see businesses recognize the real, everyday needs of families like mine. As our child grows, traditional baby changing tables in public restrooms are no longer safe, appropriate, or usable. When we’re traveling, stopping at a gas station or convenience store should be a moment of relief—not a moment of anxiety. Too often, families like ours are left with impossible choices: changing our child on a restroom floor, returning to our car in unsafe weather, or cutting trips short altogether. None of those options preserve a child’s dignity or ensure their safety. The decision at Clipper to install adult changing tables at new stores tells families like mine, “You are seen. You are welcome here.” It allows us to care for our child in a clean, safe, and respectful way—without compromising her dignity or our peace of mind. When you’re traveling with a child who has complex needs, simply knowing there is a place where you can stop makes all the difference. This kind of accessibility goes far beyond compliance—it’s compassion in action. Companies that prioritize inclusive restroom facilities demonstrate leadership, empathy, and a genuine commitment to their communities. The goodwill this creates is immeasurable. Families remember where they were treated with respect. We choose those businesses again and again, and we tell others about them. I hope more operators will follow this example. Installing adult changing tables isn’t just a thoughtful amenity—it’s a powerful statement that all families deserve dignity, safety, and inclusion. For parents like me, it means freedom, confidence, and the ability to travel without fear or embarrassment. And for our children, it means being cared for in the way they deserve." —Customer and mother of a disabled child who is a wheelchair user. GACS Today: Do you see this being something you include in future locations or remodels? What will help guide that decision? CF: This is absolutely the way of the future for Clipper—there is no going back. Universal changing tables align directly with our Clipper values. Installing them in our stores reinforces our commitment to caring and respecting our customers, providing a safe environment, exceeding expectations, and acting with integrity. Universal changing tables allow us to provide a dignified toileting experience for all of our customers. Now that we know better, we will do better—and we have no plans of going back. GACS Today: What advice would you give to other convenience retailers who may be interested in taking similar steps to improve accessibility in their stores? CF: I would encourage every retailer across the country to consider installing universal changing tables as you build new stores. While it can be challenging to retrofit existing locations due to space constraints, new stores can be designed with these needs in mind from the very beginning. The disabled community is the largest minority group in the world, making up 20% of the population and they are the only minority group that anyone can join at any time. We are all one accident or diagnosis away from becoming disabled. If you look around your stores and don’t see disabled customers, it’s not because they don’t live in your community; it may be because the space wasn’t built with them in mind. We have an opportunity to serve all customers with dignity. A universal changing table is a small but meaningful step toward doing just that. If we want to be an industry known for being a bathroom destination, we must be a destination for everyone. Universal changing tables help make that possible. I hope other retailers follow suit and send a clear message to our disabled customers: you belong in our stores and you are welcome here. 
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