Children launch petition for better access to toilets

A petition collecting signatures with the intention to gain better access to toilets in New Zealand is gaining momentum after being launched by a group of children who attended camp Purple Live. From 13 to 17 January, 57 children with Crohn’s Disease and ulcerative colitis, chronic autoimmune diseases of the digestive tract, attended Camp Purple Live at El Rancho Camp in Waikanae. The camp was organised by Crohns and Colitis NZ Charitable Trust (CCNZ) whose mission is to support those with Crohns Disease and ulcerative colitis. The petition is being handed to Hon Trevor Mallard MP next Tuesday 31 January 2017 at 11am.

The children with Crohns and Colitis who attended the camp, came up with the idea after a parliament tour. Coincidentally, the Parliament tour guide had Crohn’s Disease himself. He explained to the children the legislative process. Immediately on her return to camp, with the help of one of the volunteers, the children, each who suffer from Crohns or colitis, wrote a petition. It requests that the House of Representatives enact a law similar to Ally’s Law in NZ. The Restroom Access Act, also known as Ally's Law, is legislation passed by several U.S. states that requires retail establishments that have toilet facilities for their employees to also allow customers to use the facilities if the customer suffers from an inflammatory bowel disease or other medical condition requiring immediate access to a toilet.

The petition was signed by all 57 campers, along with 30 of the camp volunteers, including three doctors and four nurses and is being sponsored by MP Rt Hon Trevor Mallard. The hope is for the house to pass legislation to ensure that, if a retail establishment does not have public restrooms, those who have medical conditions that require immediate toilet access such as Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, pregnancy, or an ostomy bag, must be allowed access to employee restrooms.”

There is no cure for these diseases which usually require potent chronic immunosuppressive medications and often multiple surgeries. NZ has one of the highest rates of Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis in the world and they are diseases that often strike in childhood, causing symptoms that no one likes to talk about: abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and bleeding. Imagine being on a school trip and having to stop five times to have an urgent bowel motion. Imagine pleading to use the employee restroom in a shop and having to explain why. Imagine being told that you will need to search for a public rest room somewhere else. Imagine being 12 years old and having an accident in the middle of the city.

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