InterBuild Inclusive Amenities Survey: Preferences, Challenges and Options

Building a more inclusive Australia

Inclusive Restrooms and Amenities Survey
As the LGBTQ+ network for the property and construction sector, InterBuild is working to enable more inclusive restrooms and amenities across Australia. To do this we want to understand how people find and use public restrooms, as well as challenges and preferences around all gender restroom options.

We appreciate your feedback and note your responses are anonymous. Important: this survey asks a series of questions that could bring up negative memories and feelings. Please complete it at the right place and time for you, and if necessary have the right support available if you find yourself having a difficult time in providing us feedback about how to help others avoid negative experiences in future. 

When people look for the location of a facility in a building like a meeting room, classroom, the lift, stairs or exits, people often look for signage that describes or looks like that use. Toilets and restrooms are a notable exception to this rule, where signage often looks like or refers to a specific gender for that facility rather than signing to the location of the facility itself (a toilet). While on face value this might make sense, it doesn't cater for everyone and can be exclusive or disempowering to people in our community.

Additionally, public restrooms that follow a gendered format often don't meet the needs of everyone in the community and can lead many to avoid using the toilet outside their home altogether. Whether you’re a babysitter with a child at the local shopping mall, someone in the workplace who’s gender identity and/or presentation falls outside binary options of ‘man’ or ‘woman’, or someone out and about who needs a bit more privacy, the common gendered public restroom format (or alternative of using an accessible toilet) can be a challenge that sometimes does not feel acceptable, safe or dignified.

What will InterBuild use the data for?
Your responses to this survey will help inform a set of guidelines and considerations InterBuild is developing to enable more inclusive restrooms and amenities across Australia, starting with outlining preferred options on signage and subsequently format/layout considerations to use when designing, developing, managing and refurbishing buildings.

This work will also be useful for individuals and businesses engaging with landlords, property managers, building professionals, certifiers and approval bodies to support work in breaking down systemic barriers to equality and inclusion in the built environment.

I'm keen to get more involved! How do I do that?
You can get more involved with InterBuild by signing up for news and updates at interbuild.org.au. If you're on LinkedIn you can join our LinkedIn group to get involved.

If you have any questions regarding this survey or InterBuild’s work on inclusive amenities, please contact