Designing for Inclusivity: Strategies for universal washrooms and change rooms

hcma has been at the forefront of community-focused design in Canada for over two decades. By continuously challenging ourselves to design for social impact, people in our community buildings feel more than welcomed—they feel they belong.

We created Designing for Inclusivity to fill a perceived gap in design knowledge around issues relating to universal washrooms and change rooms in community and recreation facilities.

It is a resource for designers, municipal staff, building operators and managers, and anyone interested in understanding more about this topic. The document provides context, identifies opportunities and challenges, and shares design strategies that promote inclusivity for a wide variety of users.

By sharing our research, we hope to contribute to ongoing and evolving discussions around designing for inclusivity.