Mum creates loo-themed advent calendar to raise awareness of disabled toilet access
"Nobody should have to lie on a toilet floor"
To date, mother Sarah Brisdion's alternative advent calendar has seen her eating a mince pie, wearing reindeer antlers and even drinking a bottle of prosecco on the toilet.
The mother-of-two has picked this unusual spot to take her Christmas snaps in a big to raise awareness of the lack of changing facilities in disabled toilets.
Releasing a series of selfies leading up to 24th December, Sarah hopes to highlight the plight of people like her son Hadley, seven, who needs changing facilities in disabled toilets so he can go to toilet with dignity.
Although Sarah says she can preserve her dignity in the shots, she says that her son is one of many who knows that 'there is nothing dignified or festive about lying on the toilet floor.'
'We all need to pee. It's nothing to be ashamed of. Some people just need more help than others,' she said in her first post in the calendar, tagged #looadvent.
'Every day of December, I will be taking a festive selfie to raise awareness of the need for changing benches and hoists in disabled toilets.'
Sarah, who is mother to twins Erica and Hadley, who is a wheelchair user with cerebral palsy, has found that she has to resort to changing her seven-year-old son on the toilet floor because of the lack of changing facilities.
GoodtoKnow Newsletter
Parenting advice, hot topics, best buys and family finance tips delivered straight to your inbox.
'The slight embarrassment I feel from sharing these photos, is nothing compared to the indignity my son feels having to lie down amongst other people's urine,' said Sarah to Metro.
'It's easy for me to take a photo. It's not easy for my son to live with being discriminated against,' she added.
According to toilet accessibility campaigners Changing Places, around a quarter of a million people need access to disabled toilets with changing facilities, but only one thousand are available.
Trusted, informative, and empathetic – GoodToKnow is the ultimate online destination for parents. At GoodtoKnow, our mission is 'simple': we're trying to make sense of parenthood. On the site, you'll find everything you need for a happy, healthy family life. Our huge archive of content includes more than 18,000 articles and 1,500 how-to videos. These include expert-backed advice features on parenting, dealing with relationship changes after having a baby, self-care for mums and managing your family finances. We also feature tried-and-tested product reviews and buying recommendations for every stage of family life - from prams and Moses baskets to birthday gifts and top toys.
-
Why do I crave sugar? Causes of sugar cravings and how to stop them
If you're someone who suffers from sugar cravings you'll know how hard it is to give up the sweet stuff. But you're not alone.
By Debra Waters Published
-
Low sodium diet: the benefits of reducing salt and what foods to eat
By Emily-Ann Elliott Published