Petition Better changing facilities for people living with stomas
My name is Jo-Anne Gravell, and in October 2019, I was diagnosed with stage 4 bowel cancer. As a result of my treatment and life-saving surgery, I now live with a permanent stoma. While I am a proud survivor, navigating daily life in Wales with a stoma presents significant, unnecessary barriers due to a severe lack of adequate public changing facilities.
Standard public toilets across Wales are entirely unequipped for stoma care.
More details
Toilets need adequate shelf space to lay out clean medical supplies hygienically.
Hooks on doors to keep clothing and fresh supplies off wet floors.
Properly positioned mirrors to visually guide the changing process.
Accessible, discreet disposal bins inside the cubicle itself.
Without these basic features, individuals living with stomas are often forced to change their bags in unhygienic conditions—sometimes on toilet floors—or face severe anxiety and isolation, trapped at home by the fear of having nowhere clean to go.
The Call to Action:
We deserve dignity, privacy, and cleanliness. This petition calls on the Welsh Government to implement mandatory guidelines ensuring that public and accessible toilets across Wales are upgraded to meet the standard requirements for stoma care. By making these small but vital adjustments, Wales can ensure that cancer survivors and all individuals living with stomas can participate fully in public life without compromising their health or self-respect.
At 250 signatures...
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At 10,000 signatures...
Petitions with more than 10,000 signatures will be considered for a debate in the Senedd