Mum to take a toilet selfie every day until Christmas for important reason
Sarah Brisdion will take a picture of herself on the toilet every day until Christmas, but it has nothing to do with vanity.
The 37-year-old is, in fact, hoping to raise awareness of the lack of disabled facilities in public toilets, and to tackle the stigma "around pee, poo and periods."
"We don’t talk about toilets and what we do on them," the mum told HuffPost UK.
"I want to try to break down some of those barriers
If you missed day 1 of #LooAdvent for #ChangingPlaces Here it is. 'Lighting a candle for the first day of Advent'. And yes, it is a candle, not a cup of tea….And yes, I was having a wee… Please share and follow. x pic.twitter.com/8GWFmTq4fW
— Sarah Brisdion (@SazBrisdion) December 2, 2017
“We all have to pee. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Some people just need a little more help than others.”
Mum to seven-year-old twins, one of whom has cerebral palsy, Sarah has first-hand experience of the daily struggle people with disabilities have when it comes to public toilets, and decided enough was enough.
NEW #LooAdvent photo! Day 2. For 24 days, I'll be sharing a 'festive' loo selfie to raise awareness of #ChangingPlaces toilets. It might seem undignified, but it's nothing compared to the indignity of lying on a public toilet floor when there's no bench & hoist in a disabled loo! pic.twitter.com/FG0dZyCBVf
— Sarah Brisdion (@SazBrisdion) December 2, 2017
**NEW PHOTO** Day 3 of #LooAdvent. Nobody should have to lie on a toilet floor to have their continence or sanitary items changed or be dangerously lifted to the loo without a hoist. Doing this for my son. I'll fight for his equality 'til the end! #ChangingPlaces #SundayBlogShare pic.twitter.com/9nRRlrZUWb
— Sarah Brisdion (@SazBrisdion) December 3, 2017
**NEW PIC** Day 4 of #LooAdvent for #ChangingPlaces. This might seem a little funny, but I can preserve my dignity and choose to share these photos. My son (age 7, with Cerebral Palsy) often has no choice but to lie on toilet floors to have his continence needs met. Please share. pic.twitter.com/VfPUEVYkzi
— Sarah Brisdion (@SazBrisdion) December 4, 2017
And that's why she decided to start her toilet selfie campaign, which involves her taking a photo of herself using the loo and sharing it on social media.
Sarah will take 24 pictures in the hope that more businesses will install Changing Places facilities.
“I want to show people that this is an important issue,” the mum-of-two continued.
“Just because it’s not glamorous, that doesn’t mean it doesn’t deserve attention. I want people to think, the next time they are on the loo, how they would feel if they had to lie on a toilet floor or how they would feel if they had to lay their child on one.
“The more people who are aware of the cause, the more likely we are to have success when we approach businesses and encourage them to install facilities.”