Councillors have backed proposals for the signs on 'accessible' toilets in county council buildings to change, in recognition that not every disability is visible.

Traditionally the signs on accessible toilets include only an image of a person in a wheelchair.

But that doesn't recognise the needs of people with conditions that are not so easily seen, such as Crohn's Disease and colitis.

The county council's resources and performance cabinet panel has backed moves for every accessible toilet on council premises to have 'not every disability is visible' signage.

The proposal was put to the panel, after leader of the Liberal Democrat group councillor Stephen GIles-Medhurst tabled a motion at the last meeting of the county council.

That motion suggested the new signs could help to stop the stigma and discrimination towards people with 'invisible illnesses' – like Crohn's Disease ad ulcerative colitis – when using accessible toilets

But addressing the panel on last week, councillor Giles-Medurst said the need was not limited to Crohns and colitis but to other invisible disabilities, whether permanent or temporary.

He stressed the need for publicity and 'education' to run alongside the changes in signage – to explain the reason behind it .

He also said it was "an important move forward" for those who 'find themselves in a difficult position when they can't use these facilities.'

At the meeting the panel agreed to support the campaign 'not every disability is visible' to help in raising awareness that not everyone needing access to a disabled toilet has a readily visible disability.

They backed moves to ensure that the 'not every disability is visible' signage on accessible toilets on council premises.

During the debate, councillor Frances Button took the opportunity to raise the issue of access to public toilets across the county more generally.

Pointing to greater access to public toilets in other countries, she said: "For me we don't have enough public toilets in our county. I have been really concerned at the reduction in them.

"Districts and boroughs and parish councils, can we make sure we have enough public toilets available – suitably marked – for everybody?"

Backing the recommendation Labour's Sharon Taylor recognised the need, but questioned how the costs of the signage – and public toilets more generally – could be met.

"These are very serious issues for those affected," she said.

"I do fear with cost cuts to local government we may end up in a position where councils are just not able to provide public toilets any more – and I think that would be shocking and awful for our population.

"So I do think the cost implications for this will have to be thought through as well.

"We want to do it, but it's the cost of doing it that may prevent the full programme being implemented."