Student with stoma accused of 'taking drugs' in disabled toilet
A student who was accused of taking drugs while using a disabled toilet is calling for more awareness of hidden disabilities.
Amber Davies was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis at the age of just 13 and has a stoma.
The 21-year-old was on a night out in Birmingham when she was "grabbed" by a bouncer after coming out of the disabled toilet.
She took to social media to write an open letter to Wetherspoons, detailing her experience and calling for a better understanding of her condition.
In her letter she said staff "very happily and very openly accused me of snorting, dealing and having sex in the disabled toilet for 'there is no other reason I would need to visit it so often'".
She wrote: "I didn't want or need to hear about how s*** your job is as an excuse for your behaviour - not once did I behave in a way that called for the treatment I got.
"My disability is what's called a 'hidden disability."
Amber, who is about to start her third year at Cardiff University, describes her illness as "chronic, debilitating" and "lifelong".
She says her stoma "needs constant care" and can be emptied up to 15 times a day, "it can make going out, especially on nights out, a pretty daunting prospect."
She explained: "I have a condition called Ulcerative Colitis that falls under the umbrella of IBD - Inflammatory Bowel Disease - and have dealt with it's debilitating and life destroying effects since being a young teen," Amber adds.
"There is no cure. A list of the main symptoms include diarrhoea, uncontrollable extreme abdominal pain and cramps, tiredness and fatigure, lowered immunity, feeling generally unwell, loss of appetite and weight loss, anaemia, mouth ulcers, joint pain, eye inflammation, tummy swelling, passing blood, skin problems.
"These symptoms have a profound impact on every aspect of daily living."
A JD Wetherspoon spokesman said: "A female member of door staff spoke with Ms Davies, who explained her disability.
"Staff expressed that if this had been known beforehand, or an explanation given sooner, the situation could have been avoided.
"Staff listened at length to Ms Davies points, never once questioning her disability and apologised for the confusing situation on both sides."
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