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Canada
Share information and ask questions about accessible travel in Canada.
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Gender-free toilets in Canada
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Gender-free toilets in Canada
Hi,
When I was growing up in Canada there were no separate, gender-free toilets in Canada – you needed to use either the men’s or women’s. The was not fun when you are a boy and your mother is your caregiver. Even less fun when you get older!
@marj mentioned that the ROM now has a separate gender-free toilet available. Is this unique, or is there a change in Canada to offer separate toilets?
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7 Replies
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Is it gender free and accessible or just gender free?
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I mean a separate toilet that is accessible but also a separate room not part of the men’s or women’s toilet.
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@josh I remember that. Having to take my brother to the women’s room, getting lots of stares or it just not being big enough. Ontario is slowly adopting this plan on accessible toilets, gender free and Universal washrooms, including a hoyer lift and change table. This has been happening over the last couple years, and it always surprises me where they pop up. I’ve seen Universal washrooms in a park in Ajax, Ontario, at Scarborough Town Centre mall and at temp one at an outdoor event I went to.
There is quite a big push for this to happen. I believe it started with mothers and fathers who needed somewhere dignified to change their children. It has morphed into, needing to lift someone safely, needing a toilet and a change table. Whatever your needs are, a washroom should have all facets provided to you.
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That is exciting to hear! Especially at events – when you are out in the sun it is important to keep hydrated, but if you are worried about a usable toilet it is tempting to do the opposite and dehydrate – something I’m certainly guilty of!
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@babajan I got the email with your reply, but cannot find it on here.
The Universal washrooms I speak of are a separate room, with a change table, hoyer and toilet and they’re big. These days, they are often also marked as gender-free to provide a space for anyone that cannot or cannot safely use a regular washroom with a ladies or men’s bathroom.
I do understand that gender-free sometimes only means the space, and not the accessibility. This is slowly changing. Or, there are options of just gender-free and accessible gender-free.
Even if someone is not LGBTQ, people seem to be hung up on gender. So, for example, if I’m helping my friend who is male, there are always questions about bathrooms, ladies or men’s. However, if you remove the gender, you remove the stigma.
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Good information..thanks for your thoughtful reply Marjorie
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Correctly mentioned by @marj it totally depends on that kings and queens written on the door of the bathroom… If it is not there then Men, women, and kids are free to go and use it.
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