Crohns and Colitis Canada campaigns for better public washroom access

You gotta go, but where?

Finding a public washroom can be challenging at the best of times, but ittakes on a new intensity when you suffer from Crohns disease, colitis or anyother condition that creates urgency in the search for a toilet.

• Halifax council addresses 'dearth of public washrooms'

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Crohns and Colitis Canada have launched a program, the GoHere WashroomAccess Initiative, which hopes to relieve some of the anxiety caused by alack of public facilities.

"This is a basic need. We all have to go," Byron Richards of Crohns andColitis Canada told CBC Radio's Information Morning today.

People with Crohns and colitis have to go with greater frequency, five to 20times a day, he said.

The organization is talking to businesses in the Halifax areaabout making it easier, and lessembarrassing, for people to use their bathrooms.

Canada, and Atlantic Canada in particular, has the highest rate ofinflammatory bowel disease in the world, with one in every 150 peoplesuffering from the illnesses.

Richards said people such as pregnant women and seniors also face problems finding a public washroom.

"You want to enjoy the Halifax waterfront, where are you going to go to thewashroom?Going to a business can be cumbersome and it can beembarrassing as well."

And public parks and soccer fields, "family friendly"sites, are also traditionally poorplaces to find a bathroom.

Corporate responsibility

Richards said the organization is approaching businesses and asking themto put a "GoHere" decalon their windows.

"We lean on corporate responsibility side and their compassion," he said. "Education is important. It is not a 'want to,' it's a 'have to.' We promote their business on our website. They will get free advertising."

The target, he said, is mainly smaller shops, retail places that may not havereadily available washrooms.

"Another feature of our GoHere washroom app is that produces anelectronic card that you can show on your electronic device that says I am aCrohns, Colitis IB sufferer and I need to go to the washroom."

The program was launched this spring in Calgary where 20 businesses havesigned up.Two businessesapproached in Halifax are now on board and Richards said the organization will soon speak with city officials.

The end goal is to have public washroom legislation like some American states and New Zealand, he said.