Womens Restroom Signs: Frequently Asked Questions

According to the International Building Code, the ratio of female to male toilets depends on the type of building and building occupancy. Most occupancies require a 1:1 ratio, but assembly uses like stadiums, pools, amusement parks can require up to a 2:1 ratio of female to male toilets. The ratio is set by codes and varies from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. You should look up to the regulations governing plumbing in your jurisdiction. The ratio differs for hotels, businesses, hospitals, stadiums, gas stations, churches, theatres, etc. Most American state laws vary between 1:1, 3:2, and 2:1 ratios.

The two sign requirement to mark women’s restrooms in California was started by Sam Genensky (partially blind himself) to make restrooms easily identifiable to those with limited vision. According to the rule, a twelve-inch diameter circle is required on the restroom door to identify a girls' or women's restroom.

In 1990, the ADA (Americans with Disability Act) was adopted, mandating raised character sign with Braille to be located adjacent to the door, not on the door for easy identification by touch. This was decided, keeping in view, that if a visually challenged person was reading the door sign up close and the door suddenly opened, that person could get hit in the face. The ADA did not require the geometric sign, but the disability community in California wanted to continue with the shape identification and that is why California has a two-sign requirement.

According to the 2010 ADA standard (ANSI A117.1 - 2003), ADA compliant restroom signs must be mounted at such a height that the tactile characters are between 48 and 60 inches measured from the finished floor to the bottom line of text. This is a comfortable height to mount Women’s Bathroom Signs, especially the ones with Braille because users can easily see and touch the signs to read and identify restrooms. For non-Braille signs, there is no such requirement, but the same rules can be followed.

According to California law, the color of the circle on the Women’s Bathroom Door Sign must contrast with the door on which the sign is placed. There is no hard and fast color requirement for the wall restroom sign, as far as the text and other pictograms on the sign contrast with the sign. However, in California, the International Symbol of Accessibility is sometimes required to be white on a blue, and therefore it is the best-selling sign color. For interior signage, people use different colors for aesthetic purposes or to provide contrast with the door.

The Restroom Equity Act prohibits discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity in employment, housing, credit, education, jury service, transportation services, federally-funded programs (including health care), and businesses that serve the public. The act addresses to increase gender parity by ensuring that the number of toilets in the women’s restrooms equals or exceeds the number of toilets (including urinals) in men’s restrooms within a public space. 

In fact, women and girls need more time in washrooms for both physiological and cultural reasons. The act affects women positively because they often have small children, maybe breastfeeding, have feminine hygiene needs, and usually have to wait in a long line.

Pictograms/symbols hold a lot of importance on restroom signage. Symbols are not “required” by ADA but “recommended” on signs that identify permanent rooms, like a female restroom. In the case of restrooms, people expect to see a pictogram and decide whether it’s a men’s, women’s, unisex, family, or an all-gender/gender-neutral facility. Pictograms are helpful in quick identification of the room, especially if the restroom users are non-English speakers.