More Than Wheelchairs: Why Accessible Restrooms Can Do Better

This blog is in recognition of the 35th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

On July 26, 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) was signed into law, signaling the promise of equal access and dignity in public spaces for millions of Americans with disabilities. Thirty-five years later, the ADA remains a cornerstone of civil rights, but it’s important to examine how the law falls short and reimagine it to serve more people, more fully.

Toilet stalls at the Gates Foundation's Discovery Center in Seattle, Washington (USA) (Credit: FLUSH/K Worsham)

Nowhere is this more evident than in the design of public restrooms. While most restrooms in the U.S. meet the minimum requirements of the ADA, barriers remain for many people with diverse needs and circumstances. We’ll explore these barriers and some possible solutions in this blog.

Accessibility Beyond Wheelchairs

What comes to mind when you think of accessible restrooms? In the U.S., it generally looks like a wide stall with grab bars, and a raised toilet seat. But the reality is that accessibility is broader and more nuanced. It's about designing spaces that work for a range of people with a range of needs and circumstances. 

Beyond wheelchair users, public restrooms should be designed to accommodate:

• Parents with strollers and young children;

• Older adults with mobility challenges;

• People with temporary injuries (like a sprained ankle or recovering from surgery);

• Individuals with sensory sensitivities or neurodivergence;

• People managing chronic conditions like Crohn’s disease, incontinence, or using colostomy bags;

• Caregivers assisting others;

• Transgender and non-binary individuals seeking privacy and safety; among others.

Anyone on this list sound like you or someone you know? Personally, I remember struggling with the heavy bathroom door in my college dorm when I was on crutches with a sprained ankle my junior year. The reality is that all of us will face temporary or long-term physical challenges or limitations at some point in our lives, or will need to support another person during that time in their life.

Jordan Student Academic Center Inclusive Restrooms at Gallaudet University in Washington, DC (Credit: Jeffrey Totaro)

The ability to safely and comfortably use a restroom is essential for health, dignity, and full participation in public life for everyone. 

What True Inclusive Design Looks Like

Many restrooms meet the minimum ADA standards. But minimum compliance isn’t the same as meaningful accessibility. Truly inclusive restrooms go further, incorporating features grounded in universal design to create spaces that work for everyone, inclusive of ability, age, or identity.

Some standout design elements include:

Universal, Gender-Neutral, Single-Occupancy Stalls: These offer privacy, dignity, and flexibility for all users, including families, transgender and non-binary individuals, and people who need assistance from a caregiver of a different gender. They also help reduce wait times. 

Family-Friendly Features: Changing tables shouldn’t be limited to the women’s restroom. Features like lowered sinks, wider stalls for strollers, and accessible diaper-changing stations benefit parents of all genders, grandparents, or anyone with young children.

Sensory-Friendly Design: Bright lights and loud hand dryers can be overwhelming for individuals with autism or sensory processing challenges. Restrooms that incorporate soft lighting, neutral colors, and paper towel options offer a calmer experience.

Adult Changing Facilities: Imagine being a teen or adult with a disability and needing assistance, but finding that no public restroom has a table large or safe enough for your needs. Fully accessible restrooms equipped with adult-sized changing tables and hoists are still rare, but essential to ensure everyone can participate fully in public life. 

Clear Wayfinding and Signage: Large, high-contrast signs with braille, tactile symbols, and simple pictograms make it easier for people with vision impairments, cognitive disabilities, or those for whom English is a foreign or second language to find and use restrooms independently.

Touchless Technology: Motion-activated faucets, soap dispensers, and flush mechanisms improve hygiene and reduce barriers for people with limited hand strength, arthritis, or germ sensitivity.

A Stalled! design for a multi-user restroom that eliminates the need for gender-binary restrooms. It is a single open space that facilitates caregiving between people of different gender expressions. (Credit: Stalled!)

These features are not just “nice to have;” they reflect the reality that people’s needs are diverse, and that dignity and independence should not depend on your body or your circumstances. 

When people cannot use public facilities safely and comfortably, we risk excluding them from public life altogether. Inclusion must begin with our public infrastructure to best serve the full spectrum of human needs. By embracing inclusive, universal design, we can create spaces that uphold dignity, safety, and equity for all.

Policy Rollbacks Undermining Progress

Unfortunately, not all movement has been forward. During the Trump administration, key guidance documents related to ADA Title II were withdrawn, weakening clarity on standards for public facilities. Enforcement of accessibility standards slowed, and rollbacks on digital accessibility and service animal guidance added confusion for people trying to navigate both physical and digital spaces.

Advocacy groups warned that these changes risked eroding hard-won rights and underscored the need for renewed vigilance and investment in inclusive infrastructure.

The Path Forward: Designing Beyond Compliance

Caption: Unique examples of needs-based, rather than identity-based, restroom signage at The Blue Room in Nashville, Tennessee (Credit: J Peikes)

As we mark the 35th anniversary of the ADA, it’s time to move from minimum standards to maximum inclusion.

We must push policymakers, businesses, architects, and designers to adopt universal design principles—not just because the law says so, but because society thrives when all of its members are included and accommodated. Accessible restrooms aren't just about checklists or measurements. They're about ensuring that everyone, regardless of disability, age, identity, or circumstance, can participate fully in public life, without shame or limitation. 

Stalled! is a great example of advocates and designers coming together to reimagine the public restroom as more open, safer, and usable spaces for transgender or gender nonconforming individuals, as well as caretakers and people of all physical abilities. 

Let’s raise the bar. Let’s build a world where public restrooms, and every space we share, reflect the diversity and dignity of the people who use them.

Do you have any favorite accessibility features in a public restroom where you live? We’d love to hear about your experience–comment below or reach out!