Tuesday morning at 10:30 I'll be testifying before the House Commerce Committee about the Restroom Access Bill, HB 5046, introduced by Rep. Andy Meisner, and co-sponsored by Mid-Michigan Representative Barb Byrum. The bill is designed to provide restroom access to people with eligible medical conditions where a public bathroom might not specifically be available, i.e. retail businesses.
Rep. Meisner introduced the original bill two years ago, spurred by a constituent with Crohn's Disease who would no longer shop outside of her home because of an incident where the retail establishment would not let her use their private bathroom resulting in a very embarrassing situation for her.
This is no joke. When you have a digestive disease such as Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS), etc, there are times where you need immediate access to a bathroom. Being denied it, especially as an adult, is incredibly humiliating and embarrassing. Certain aspects of your entire life are controlled due to your disease.
For instance, for the 10 years that my Crohn's was particularly bad, there were certain restaurants and stores that I refused to visit because they either did not have public bathrooms or they were less than hygienic to use, and that I knew should the sudden and terrible urge hit me, I would be left in a very undesirable situation. I know this to be the case of most others who suffer with these conditions.
These businesses lost out on my business, and in turn, the state lost out on much needed revenue in the form of sales tax. It was a losing situation for all parties involved.
For those of you thinking that it's just common sense for people to make their bathrooms available to someone with a medical condition like the ones described above, I'd agree with you. Unfortunately reality dictates that common sense is not always so common.
The bill works because it gives responsibilities to both the consumer and the business.
The customer provides the retail establishment with a copy of a statement on a prescription form that indicates the customer suffers from an eligible medical condition or utilizes an ostomy device, signed by a doctor.Protections for the business include -
Two or more employees of the retail establishment are working at the time the customer requests use of the employee toilet facility.and
The employee toilet facility is not located in an area where providing access would create an obvious health or safety risk to the customer or an obvious security risk to the retail establishment.Many of us know someone who lives with either Crohn's Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, IBS, and/or lives with an ostomy. We also know probably know of the pain, the embarrassment, and trials they have been through to carry on with their lives. As you support them in their goal to live a productive life, also support them in their quest to be have the same privileges and rights you would want if you were in their shoes.
Take three minutes out of your day and ask your state representative to support HB 5046, the Restroom Access Bill. Make Michigan the supportive state we know it to be, in our communities, in our health, and in our commerce.
1 comment:
Maryland has had this law on the books for 20 years now. It's done absolutely nothing to increase shop lifting, and all the other crap (pun intended) the Chamber will complain about.
When I had my colon, I was incontinent too. I couldn't shop outside of one section of the grocery store for fear of crapping my pants. I crapped my pants many times late at night while studying in grad school. It was a terrible situation.
And there was the one time I went on a family vacation in North Carolina. The morning after I arrived, I went to the grocery store to stalk up on "colon friendly" food. When I was in the meat section, I felt urgency and I HAD to go. I asked the guy stocking the meat shelves where the bathroom was. He told me in the front of the store. I get there and find out it's in the rear of the store, right by where I just was. I had to ditch the cart and run all the way back to get to the bathroom. I made it. A couple minutes later, I emerged from the bathroom, and the guy was laughing his ass off at me running. I stared at him and said, "I have Crohn's that really isn't funny and was very mean." He kept laughing and said, "No, seriously." I said, "Yes." He put his head down and didn't say another word.
That's the kind of shit (again, pun intended) that laws like this prevent. I hope Michigan will join Texas, Minnesota and Delaware (all of which passed restroom access bills this year) in passing a law that will ensure that those of us with Crohn's are treated with dignity and respect.
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