Public Restrooms Tips

Unisex Bathrooms Benefit Elderly

If you operate a business or office that serves elderly persons, consider installing a family restroom or unisex bathroom. Elderly persons may be accompanied by opposite-sex partners or adult children and they may need assistance in using a public restroom. A unisex option, perhaps in addition to standard men's and women's restrooms, lets a woman help her elderly father without having to use a strictly men's restroom, for example, and your business gets credit for knowing your audience.

P.S. Don't forget the handicap grab bars for the toilets, which also help elderly persons.

Check Local Laws: You May Need To Offer A Unisex Bathroom

The 2003 International Building Code requires that all new construction and substantial renovation for public restrooms include a family, or unisex, bathroom. Most new, large venues such as malls, airports, and sports arenas, now include at least one type unisex bathroom in addition to men's and women's public restrooms. But not all states have adopted the codes. Planning construction or renovation? Check your local public restroom regulations.

Consider Varying Sink And Dryer Heights In Unisex Bathrooms

Since the recommended installation heights for sinks, toilets, and hand dryers vary between men and women, consider installing some of each if the unisex bathroom has room for multiple stalls, sinks, and hand dryers. An architectural trend known as “universal design” refers to creating public spaces to accommodate people of all ages and mobility levels.

In part because the Americans with Disabilities Act requires unisex bathrooms to include sinks and facilities of varying heights, and the building industry has responded by creating “multi-height lavatory systems” that combine sinks of different heights in the same fixture for easier installation. Ask your bathroom fixture supplier for details.

Signage Is Everything If You Provide Unisex Bathrooms

Own a small business? Want to keep the bathroom unisex? Be sure to buy a sign that has both the male and female logo on it to avoid customer confusion. Unisex signs are available from most restroom sign suppliers. In addition, if the unisex bathroom also has baby-changing facilities and is meant to cater to families, let customers know. Signs that say “family restroom” with a family-friendly logo and a baby-changing logo are available as well.

Eliminate Visible Urinals When Retrofitting A Restroom As Unisex

At the risk of seeming obvious, if you are a business owner who is retrofitting a public restroom that accommodates several people and turning it into a unisex bathroom, don't forget to remove the urinals if the facility has multiple stalls. Or, keep the urinals but put stall walls around them.

You'll eliminate the potential for embarrassment on the part of your customers of both genders.