Our mission is to improve the quality of life for BIPOC who are affected by IBD, Digestive Disorders and associated Chronic Illnesses; through Community, Research, Education, and Advocacy.

Bathroom Break Card

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Become a Member to receive your “Gotta Go, Right Now!” Card below:

If you have an IBD (Inflammatory Bowel Disease) or an Ostomy, you know how quickly your symptoms can go from zero to 100  (real quick!). When you’ve gotta go, you GOTTA GO…now. Going out in public can be challenging in general, but especially if you don’t know where the restrooms are or if you will even have access to them. Our hope is that our “Gotta Go, Right Now” card will open doors to increasing your quality of life, when you do decide to leave your home and/or safe space.

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The Restroom Access Act

The Restroom Access Act

The Restroom Access Act (also known as Ally’s Law or the Crohn’s & Colitis Fairness Act) requires retail establishments to allow people with certain medical conditions, such as an IBD, to access an employee restroom if no public facilities are available and they need to go. Ally’s Law is a state based legislative initiative.

Ally’s Law ensures access for persons with certain medical conditions, including Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis, IBS,  any condition with an Ostomy, and Pregnancy as a medical condition.

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Each State’s requirements may vary, but in general, Ally’s law applies when these conditions are met:

  • When the retail establishment has two or more employees currently working
  • When the employee-only restroom is in a location that is both safe to the patient and not an obvious security risk to the retail establishment

Your stay may require the patient to present a document signed by a medical professional attesting to their disease:

  • Many health department state sites provide access to documents for use with Ally’s Law in approved states.
  • COCCI provides “Gotta Go , Right Now” cards

Why is Restroom Access Important?

Living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis can cause individuals to suffer with debilitating urgency, causing immediate unplanned use of a restroom. Without access, individuals risk having an uncontrolled and embarrassing accident. Due to toilet anxiety, many IBD patients worry about whether or not they will have access to a restroom in public, and because of this, they often resist venturing outside of their homes. Many retails establishments do not have have public restrooms available, and because patients have been denied access, they are faced with the mental and emotional challenges of having an accident.

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