Discrimination and Incontinence

In last summer's issue of Incontact N&V an Incontact member described her experiences of discrimination at work due to continence problems. Here she gives the latest update...and some good news.

When I last wrote I was in grave danger of losing my job. I have continued to fight and, after two years, have achieved my aim to stay at work. The Government has an initiative called Access to Work which is a scheme to enable people with disabilities to either gain or retain employment. The Disability Adviser at the job centre has been involved with my employer and me, looking at reasonable ways of enabling me to stay in my post.

Access to Work can provide funding for innovative ways of keeping a disabled person in employment, and in my case has helped to fund an adapted vehicle to allow me to do just that. I now have a vehicle with toilet facilities on board, and other essentials for my medical needs. Funding has also been agreed for the use of escorts should I require them in the course of work.

All of you with continence problems know that it's not just the physical side of the issue, but the psychological impact such conditions can have. It is dealing with depression, loss of confidence, loss of self-esteem, and the very real fear of how others will see you. There have been many occasions over the past two years when I have felt worthless as a person, and have been ready to throw in the towel. However I believe I am more than my disability; I have a great deal to offer through my job, and I intend to continue fighting.

My next step is to persuade my Local Authority to issue Orange Badges to people with chronic bladder and bowel conditions. These badges usually depend on your ability to walk, but there are some areas that issue them to people with continence problems. Even with my own toilet facilities, I still need to park with some urgency to use them. I am sure that many of you have experienced problems parking close enough to a public toilet to avoid the inevitable "accident". I would be interested to hear from anyone who has a view on this as I am intending to lobby John Hutton, Secretary of State for Health, on this issue. Write to the Incontact office and they will pass on your comments.

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