Don’t rush to judge others

Anyone seen leaving a disabled toilet who is not in a wheelchair, or who is not showing any other signs of a limited ability to walk, can often be the subject of a disapproving look, or even of verbal abuse.

What some people fail to realise is that not every disability is immediately visible, as is the case with anyone whose bodily waste exits the body via a surgically created opening, called a stoma.

Many people will have heard of a colostomy or an ileostomy, both life-saving stomas for anyone with a severe bowel condition.

Few will have heard of a urostomy, the most common outcome for conditions requiring removal of the bladder - in the majority of cases bladder cancer is the root cause.

For over 45 years, our UKwide charity, The Urostomy Association, has been supporting and informing, both before and after surgery, anyone with any form of urinary diversion.

Somehow, problems associated with the disposal of urine are still the subject of a very out-dated taboo mentality, and one of our biggest challenges is raising the awareness of the needs of an estimated 10,000 people affected by this.

The next time you feel like challenging someone who is not in a wheelchair leaving a disabled toilet– think again!

Brian Fretwell Urostomy Association