Campaign for accessible toilets for hidden disabilities
A stoma bag user from Cornwall has launched the campaign following the death of her friend
A woman from West Cornwall who uses a stoma bag is campaigning for public toilets to be more accessible for hidden disabilities.
Annie Jenkins, Penzance, started the campaign following the death of a close friend Cristian with bowel cancer, who also had a stoma bag.
It follows a conversation about difficulties around changing facilities and toilets not having enough space.
Cristian and Annie started the campaign public toilets more suitable but following their conversation, Cristian passed away in January last year.
Annie Jenkins said: "He went out a lot and didn't let his stoma-bag stop him. There were times he had to cut his evening short because there's nowhere for a bag change.
"He got very poorly and from his hospital bed we were talking about stoma bags and raising awareness. In the nine years I've had a stoma bag, I've done a lot of awareness to educate about stoma bags because you don't judge a book by its cover.
"We were going to continue and make a start in fighting for stoma-accessible toilets in Cornwall and then he passed away a few days after our conversation.
"If it wasn't from the conversation we had, I wouldn't be doing anything that I'm doing now. It just stuck with me."
Annie says there's been a lot of progress since their campaign started raising the discussion about simple changes that can be made to bathrooms - including adding a shelf and mirror to toilet cubicles.
She told us: "If it's not a disabled, accessible toilet and it's just your standard cubicle, if you're a gentleman nine times out of ten you don't have a sanitary bin in that cubicle. You're in a tiny cubical and it just makes it extremely difficult. Usually disabled toilets are aimed at people with physical disabilities but it should be accessible for all, not all disabilities can be seen."
Jenkins says it's helping educate people about stomas:
"There's renovations happening at West Cornwall Hospital at the moment and they are going to be changing their toilets to be stoma friendly and accessible, so that's one person who has listened and taken on my campaign.
"I've had an email from my stoma nurse who is based at Royal Cornwall Hospital at Treliske and says she wants me to do a walk around at Treliske to see what changes can be made there.
"I've been talking in comments with a lady who's opening in St Austell who's going to have a stoma-accessible toilet. That's three places that are making a difference, one is already making a change and the others are in the process.
"It's fantastic. I'm hoping the more people who listen, more people are going to take note.
"It's not just people in Cornwall who have stoma bags, there's thousands of people across the nation and people don't realise how many people it affects."