Stoma friendly toilets

At Sainsbury’s we’re committed to providing a supportive and flexible space for all our customers and colleagues. We’re always looking at new ways to enhance our in-store facilities to make shopping at Sainsbury’s as inclusive as possible. We’re proud to announce that Sainsbury’s is the first supermarket to be implementing stoma-friendly toilets across the UK. A stoma is an opening made on the side of the abdomen so that bodily waste can pass into a “stoma” bag. The most common causes for a stoma include bowel cancer, Crohn’s and Colitis. Over the coming months, all accessible toilets in Sainsbury’s stores nationwide will have a shelf and hook installed. We’ve worked closely with the Colostomy UK to ensure the designs fit the needs of our customers living with a stoma.

Clear signs to support customers with dementia

Toilet facilities can sometimes pose a significant obstacle to those with dementia. Working closely with Alzheimer’s Society, we’re set to install ‘Way Out’ signs in all toilets to clearly mark the exit. One customer who is delighted we are making these changes is Angela Clayton-Turner. Angela commented, “I have been talking about the difficulty my husband had finding his way out of public toilets, for some years. I am absolutely over the moon that Sainsbury's have taken this problem on board. Hopefully where Sainsbury's leads other organisations will follow!". Emma Bould, Programme Partnerships Project Manager at the Alzheimer’s Society said, “We are delighted to see toilets with dementia friendly signage being installed nationally at all Sainsbury’s stores by March 2018. Finding and exiting toilets can often be confusing for people living with dementia, causing anxiety when they are out and about. This small but significant step will enable people with dementia to quickly find the exit, while also making the route clearer to all customers."

Not every disability is visible

We are currently working to change the signage of our accessible toilets to reflect the ‘invisible nature’ of some health conditions. Several disabilities and long-term health conditions are not physically obvious and installing this sign serves as a reminder to ensure those using the facilities feel as comfortable as possible and don’t fear confrontation because they feel they don't fit the image of a person with disabilities. We’ve also made sure that the new signs are embossed, making it easy for those who are visually impaired to recognise that it is an accessible toilet. David Barker, Chief Executive at Crohn’s and Colitis UK said, “This announcement marks a step forward in reducing stigma and raising awareness that not every disability is visible. We are thrilled that Sainsbury’s have adopted this new signage on their accessible toilets as this small change will make a big difference to its customers.”