Festival Place supports people living with stomas

13 November, 2024

Festival Place is upgrading its accessible toilets to help those visitors who live with a stoma. 

Proud of its innovative approach to accessibility, the retail destination is making the changes so that people who wear a stoma are able to change their bags more comfortably and with dignity. 

In support of Colostomy UK’s “not all disabilities are visible” campaign, the changes will include providing hooks, shelf space, a mirror and a disposable bin in every accessible toilet cubicle in the centre. 

Visiting shopping centres can be a source of anxiety for those with a stoma as toilets may not be adequately designed for them to be able to safely change their stoma bags. In some cases, people have had to change their bags on the floor of public toilets, while some people have faced discrimination, being challenged or criticised for using accessible toilets. 

Giovanni Cinque, marketing and campaigns manager at Colostomy UK, said: “Lack of suitable toilet facilities is a form of social exclusion for many people living with a stoma. It stops them doing many of things that most of us take for granted, like visiting shopping centres. 

“We’re delighted that Festival Place has joined our Stoma Friendly campaign and encourage other organisations to do the same to support the 200,000 plus people in the UK for whom this is such an important change.” 

Gary Cooper, head of operations at FP, said: “Not all disabilities are visible, and we understand that going shopping can be difficult for those with a stoma. 

“We at FP are delighted to be working with Colostomy UK to become a stoma-friendly shopping centre, and we will continue to do what we can to provide an inclusive experience for all our visitors.” 

A stoma is a surgically-created opening in the abdomen that diverts the flow of bodily waste from a damaged or non-functioning bowel or bladder, allowing it to be collected in the bag. 

For more information visit www.festivalplace.co.uk