Words: Helena Morgan

Locating a generously stocked and easy-to-operate bathroom for all ages, abilities, and sensitivities should be an easy task in any office building, museum, or shopping centre. Sadly, this isn’t always the case. Many people refrain from using public bathrooms out of fear that their needs will not be met.

If you’ve never had trouble accessing a bathroom, chances are you’ve never given much thought to the obstacles others face. Rochelle Lake, head of marketing B2B at Essity Australia, is on a mission to increase the inclusivity and accessibility of bathrooms, starting with destigmatising discussions about menstrual health hygiene in the workplace.

“The key message that we want to get out there is that these barriers exist, but it’s only people who [are affected by these] issues that know about them,” says Lake. “They’re like hidden barriers.”

She prescribes a healthy dose of education to illuminate the often obscured struggles many people face daily when attempting to locate an accessible bathroom stocked with whatever they need to safely and comfortably go about their business.

“People avoid going to the bathroom, or they might even avoid going out.”

Lake explains barriers to universal wellbeing in bathrooms encompass more than just a scant number of sanitary bins and dwindling paper towel supplies – people with skin conditions such as eczema are occasionally unable to wash their hands at public bathrooms.

“Public restrooms are often fitted with harsh fragrance soaps, and this can affect people with skin sensitivities,” says Lake.

Design cues such as lighting to accommodate various auditory sensitivities are also essential when looking to create a calming atmosphere for all ages and abilities. Lake says she is saddened to encounter people who refrain from using bathrooms at workplaces or schools because they assume bathrooms will not cater to their specific requirements.

“People avoid going to the bathroom, or they might even avoid going out,” she says.

“There’s some research that shows a lot of kids do not go to the toilet during school time because the bathrooms are gross, or they’re scared to go in there.”

This lack of proper hygiene spurs a slippery slope into effect. Without exercising proper hygiene, there is a real risk of children spreading infection and disease.

Normalising period care discussions

Period care is a key area where facility managers can act to make bathrooms more inclusive. Lake says she was proud to be involved in Essity’s campaign to combat period poverty via Australia’s inaugural large-scale government period care rollout in 2020. This campaign delivered practical bathroom dispensing solutions for more than 1700 public schools in Victoria.

“You can’t change what you don’t know is an issue.”

She was also a panellist at the recent Women’s Agenda Health and Wellbeing Summit and shared insights on the need to prioritise menstrual health in workplace wellness discussions.

“I grew up not having access to period care products at school, so this is an amazing opportunity to change something for all women forever,” she says.

Discussions around period care are an important step in eliminating period poverty. Periods are another example of a barrier that may be invisible to around half of the population. In the third quarter of this year, Essity conducted a survey under the Libra Period Positivity Program to ascertain current attitudes towards workplace management of menstrual health.

Of the 1000 women polled, 87 percent have gotten their period unexpectedly at work, 76 percent have not had access to period care products at work, and 63 percent of women have been unable to work because of their period. Period care products also ranked as number one on the list of amenities to be made more readily available in workplaces.

Lake emphasises the worrying imbalance in the supply and demand of period care products.

“For something that is ranked as the most important, it is one of the least provided things,” she says.

Research also revealed 81 percent of women who have access to free period care at work feel less anxious, and 83 percent feel more confident. Workplaces that provide access to free period care place themselves in better stead to develop a productive, inspired, and motivated workforce.

She labels the ill-fated budget discussion as immobilising, yet hopes research such as the Libra Workplace Impact Survey will help instigate change.

“People ask for the return on investment and say they have to find a budget for it and get sign-off and approval,” says Lake. “That’s why we’ve done this research – to provide information about the value that it offers to workplaces.”

Again, education can be empowering. While Lake reports the United States as slightly lagging behind Australasia in regards to normalising menstrual hygiene discussions in the workplace, she says senior management at Essity’s sister companies in the US are embracing opportunities to educate staff on menstrual health.

“The feedback from our business in the US is that the rollout is opening up different conversations,” she says. “I think people are appreciative of the knowledge and understanding, and that empowers them to want to make change or do something about it.”

Rewards and highlights of accessibility landscape

Awareness of the diverse needs around public toilets is rising. The recent toilet facility upgrade at the Largs Bay foreshore in South Australia – delivered by Participate PAE (Port Adelaide Enfield) – demonstrates leaps are being made to eradicate obstacles to universal health and wellbeing.

“I am delighted every time I see a Changing Places sign. I hope that there is an increase in the recognition of the role public toilets have in making public spaces more accessible and inclusive.”

Governed by a Public Toilet Plan to deliver safe, convenient, and hygienic toilets that adhere to accessibility standards, the Largs Bay foreshore toilets have a Changing Places facility. A Changing Places facility contains a fully accessible public toilet with a change table for young families and a hoist for people with severe or profound disabilities.

These changes are designed to help Largs Bay cultivate a reputation as an inclusive and welcoming destination. In addition to the Changing Places facility, Largs Bay foreshore toilets have four unisex toilets, two female cubicles, two male cubicles, two accessible toilets, baby changing facilities, and an outdoor wash area.

Strategies that lead to sustainable results

Churchill Fellow and Brisbane social planner Katherine Webber applauds initiatives such as Largs Bay’s toilet replacement for generating awareness of the importance of providing inclusive public toilets.

“I am delighted every time I see a Changing Places sign,” Webber says. “I hope that there is an increase in the recognition of the role public toilets have in making public spaces more accessible and inclusive.”

Regarding successes in Australia’s accessibility landscape, Webber praises local government strategies, such as Participate PAE, that not only outline clear areas of improvement but also galvanise government investment into action.

“Some local governments have developed public toilet strategies that identify current and future community needs for public toilets in relation to a variety of public spaces,” she says.

“These strategies can assess current infrastructure provision and detail recommendations for future improvements to the network of infrastructure, including reference to roles and responsibilities for design, delivery, and operation.”

In addition to employing design cues such as lighting and colour, Webber says involving future toilet users in the design process provides dignity, pride, and aesthetic value.

“People deserve to have input about how a space will work for them,” she says.

Everyone is entitled to access a public bathroom that caters to an array of needs. Commendable work is underway. However, Lake says understanding the impact of accessible bathrooms on various communities is an ongoing process – organisations and facilities must be cognisant of the tensions in the cause and effect of insufficient and exclusionary facilities.

“We are really just at the start of the journey,” she says. “I would imagine the next stage is to understand that if you change certain things, who does that benefit? At this stage, we’re just identifying impacts and what causes the issues, so we can work on the solutions.”

“You can’t change what you don’t know is an issue,” she says.

Webber concurs, emphasising the power of a simple conversation to shatter damaging and exclusionary assumptions surrounding complex bathroom needs.

“I am hopeful that the conversation around public toilets will continue to highlight their role in providing accessible public spaces,” she says.

“The more people start talking positively about public toilets, the better.”