We’d like to take a moment to discuss something that simply doesn’t get talked about enough.
Picture this. You’re going through prostate cancer treatment. You’re exhausted. You’re most likely trying to keep your life as normal as possible, with as few changes as necessary. So the last thing you need playing on your mind is whether a public toilet has the facilities that you now need.
Yet this is an every day reality for more men than it should be.
That is one of the reasons why here at VR Sani-Co, we are incredibly proud to announce our support for Dignity for Men, a charity founded by Keith Smith. He has a clear -and important- mission: to improve awareness, drive for change and restore washroom dignity for men navigating the prostate cancer journey.
How it started
We first met Keith in a fairly straightforward way: as a client. He contacted us to arrange sanitary bin services for his local restaurant. Simple. Practical. Job done.
Then a year later he returned to us with another question: Do you provide sanitary bins for men’s washrooms? We most certainly do, for a variety of reasons, so we installed one for his establishment right away.
At first glance this looked just like any other installation, but in reality it opened up a door for a much bigger conversation. One about equality and what washroom dignity looks like for different people. We’ve all heard stories of women having to hide sanitary pads due to lack of facilities or privacy, but what about men? There’s more to sanitary bins than menstruation, after all.
Washroom dignity: The issue hiding in plain sight
After experiencing prostate cancer himself, Keith became acutely aware of something most people never consider. Many men undergoing treatment do not have access to appropriate disposal facilities in public or commercial toilets.
This is about dignity as much as it is about convenience.
Treatment can be a struggle, and with it comes a whole host of side effects, some of which require discreet sanitary disposal.
By law, women’s washrooms must provide sanitary bins that are regularly serviced, but there is no such requirement for men. So, in male only locations (whether that be a male dominated work space or simply the men’s toilets in a public building) there are sometimes no bins at all. This gender gap can lead to embarrassment, anxiety or even for sufferers to avoid going out to public spaces altogether.
For businesses, the solution is so startlingly simple that it is easy to wonder why it is not already happening. By providing incontinence disposal bins in men’s washrooms it does away with all of the awkwardness, all of the stress and can improve the lives of those who rely on them, such as cancer patients, who really shouldn’t have to add another thing to worry about. It’s about providing for the most basic of needs for every one, and who wouldn’t want that?
Turning personal experience into ACTION
Back to Keith, who instead of accepting the status quo, decided to act.
He founded Dignity for Men to support men through their prostate cancer journey and to campaign for legislative reform. One of his many objectives is to push for a legal requirement that all public toilets provide sanitary bins, regardless of gender. It is genius in its simplicity and stands on the basis that public facilities should serve everyone who may need them.
By sharing his own story openly, Keith is hoping to remove the stigma around toilet use, and get people beginning honest conversations. Conversations about men’s health. Or about treatment side effects, or about equality. And most certainly about washroom dignity in spaces we all use every day.
Why we’re standing alongside Dignity for Men
At VR Sani-Co, we have been expanding our men’s services for a while, such as incontinence disposal bins and male sanitary bins, because we recognise the growing need for inclusive washroom solutions.
When we sat down with Keith and heard the vision he had for Dignity for Men, the alignment was clear. We had been looking for a prostate cancer–focused initiative to support and this was so much more than just a partnership opportunity. It aligned our shared beliefs in raising standards.
Installing appropriate facilities is not a complicated issue, it really only comes down to the intention behind it. At its most basic level, this is all about creating washrooms that reflect real life. Real people. With real health challenges.
A call to businesses and the washroom industry
Keith is now calling on everyone; businesses big and small; washroom service providers, public toilet owners, and even industry leaders to all help raise awareness and support the petition for legislative change.
As an industry together, we have the chance to lead the way, by improving the services we offer and pushing others to do the same, creating spaces that allow for washroom dignity all across the UK.
The dream is that providing incontinence disposal bins in men’s facilities shouldn’t be an anomaly, it should be the standard.
Get involved
We are proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with Dignity for Men, using our voices to advocate for better, more inclusive washroom services.
If you are a business owner, facilities manager or simply someone who believes the same as us: that dignity should never depend on the gender of a person, then please consider supporting the campaign in any way that you can. Take a look at your own washroom services.
Sign the petition. Spread the word.
Because, when someone is facing one of the toughest periods in their lives, the basics shouldn’t be the thing that they need to worry about. Washroom dignity should be a given.
