Bradford man supports Not Every Disability is Visible campaign

Muneeb Akhtar, 22, from Great Horton, has spoken out to highlight the struggles people living with the condition face.

He was diagnosed when he was 19, while in the second year of his college apprenticeship, and faced debilitating symptoms including cramps, fatigue and fear of having an accident.

• Watching a loved one's battle with Crohn's has inspired this Bradford family to help others in the same situation

Even getting out of bed became a mission. He ended up missing social events and as a result became very isolated

“People in my culture don’t always want to understand or talk about personal issues,” Muneeb, a learning support assistant at Shipley College said.

“This was one of the biggest challenges I had to deal with.”

He eventually made the decision to have a colostomy and now has a stoma bag, which he describes as a “blessing”.

Sadly, Muneeb has faced discrimination when using accessible toilets, with people questioning why he needs to use them.

His own experience has spurred him on to support Crohn’s and Colitis UK’s campaign, which is aiming to change signs on accessible toilet doors to help people with invisible conditions feel more confident using them, stopping the stigma people can face.