MICHIGAN, USA — A West Michigan man says going to the bathroom is something he needs to think about every single time he leaves home. When arriving at his destination, the first thing he does is make a mental note of where the nearest restroom is just in case.
He and many of his family members have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis. One of them was recently at a local business when a flare up happened. The business did not have a public restroom and the family member was denied access to the employee bathroom.
"When it hits, it hits, and you might be lucky to have a minute to find a restroom before you're in the midst of having accident. It can lead to a lot of embarrassing situations in times where you can't get that restroom access when you really need it," the man said.
We're not disclosing the names of either party involved in the incident because the man said he didn't want his family member to be embarrassed and also didn't want to shame the business. However, he does want to raise awareness that the struggle is real for people with IBD.
In good news, there's a law on the books protecting patients.
Ally's Law has been passed in several states including Michigan. It came to be when a young girl named Ally had an accident in a store after being denied access to a bathroom.
Each state's version is a little different. The Michigan state legislature's website details what conditions must be met for a business to be required to grant access to the employee bathroom.
"The problem is, once the laws are passed, it's really difficult to get the word out and to educate every business owner in every city throughout the state, and then all the employees of that business," said Cassie Ray who serves as the director of advocacy for the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation.
Ray says the foundation hears about incidents like the one that happened in West Michigan all the time.
"This is probably the largest non-medication or non-medical complaint we hear from patients is that access is a restroom access is a real problem," she said.
In response, the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation has developed an app called "We Can't Wait."
"Businesses can elect to be listed as having an accessible restroom, and the public can enter locations where restrooms are available. The app has an interactive map, so they can locate those restrooms. We encourage businesses to partner with us and make sure that they're listed," Ray said.
For everyone who doesn't live with IBD, the man we talked to says he hopes heightened awareness of the law will lead to fewer accidents.
"Sometimes there are people out there who have needs that are different from your own. You may not always understand why they have those needs. But if they come to you and say I have this need, I have this immediate problem, can you please help? Don't turn them away," he said.
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