Designing Inclusive Public Toilets

Wee the People (2025)

By Jo-Anne Brichard & Gail Ramster

There is a real and urgent need to tackle the accessibility and culture around our essential public spaces.

Public toilets are rarely discussed, yet they are an essential, civilizing component of our built environment. As authors of Designing Inclusive Public Toilets: Wee the People, we argue that these facilities are more than just functional spaces; they are highly contested sites where nature meets culture, social etiquette, and complex human needs.

While often viewed as mundane, public toilets are a vital infrastructure that enables movement through our cities and towns. Because they shelter intimate bodily functions in public spaces, they are frequently shrouded in taboo, leading to their omission from urban planning and public health discourse. In our book we contend that this must change.

Inclusive design is not a "one-size-fits-all" solution. The requirements for a seaside public toilet differ drastically from those of a busy train station or a village facility. True inclusivity requires a flexible set of parameters that account for diverse needs—including age, gender identity, neurodiversity, and physical mobility. If a design fails to address even one aspect of a user's identity, it can render the facility inaccessible, regardless of how well it serves others.

We posit that public toilets are the "petri dish" of accessibility. Because we present a convergence of every challenge found in the built environment—from security and sanitation to sustainability and navigation—toilets represent the ultimate design test. "If designers get this right, they can get anything right."

By embracing new technologies, sustainable waste management (such as composting), and a shift toward viewing toilets as hubs for public health and wellbeing, we can transform them from neglected, vilified spaces into restorative, inclusive assets. Design norms are not set in stone; they evolve. By prioritizing empathy and innovation, we can move beyond current constraints to create a future where inclusive toilet design supports dignity and accessibility for everyone, proving that when we design for the most complex human needs, we create a better, more accessible world for us all.

Order book here

'This is a brilliantly accessible, engaging, essential and timely book on a subject that means a lot to all of us. It will make sense of the multitude of dimensional toilet guides around but also raises critical issues rarely mentioned in current texts. Where else could we read about the psychology of using toilets alongside neurodiversity, gender, space requirements, incontinence, toilet rolls and sanitary bins?'

Vincent Goodwin, Access and Inclusive Design Consultant, UK
'An insightful exploration of the often-overlooked significance of public toilets in urban landscapes. This groundbreaking work sheds light on their essential role in everyday life, prompting readers to reconsider ther humble restroom with newfound appreciation.'

Anastasios Maragiannis, University of Westminster, UK

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Designing Inclusive Public Toilets

There is a real and urgent need to tackle the accessibility and culture around our essential public spaces.

'An insightful exploration of the often-overlooked significance of public toilets in urban landscapes. This groundbreaking work sheds light on their essential role in everyday life, prompting readers to reconsider ther humble restroom with newfound appreciation.'

Let’s Work Together