All Gender signs are used to include people who do not identify with the male or female gender binary. This is different from the term “unisex” which has been traditionally used to indicate toilets for all people.
The Collins Dictionary definition of unisex is "Unisex is used to describe things, usually clothes or places, which are designed for use by both men and women rather than by only one sex." Whilst sex is determined by biological physical characteristics the use of the term "Unisex" would account for all users, it is not necessarily inclusive.
All Gender facilities are designed to provide a space for people who do not feel comfortable or safe using binary gendered female or male toilets.
It is perhaps arguable, that removing “All Gender” and simply keeping “Toilet”, “Ambulant Toilet” etc would be more technically correct and more inclusive by removing any gender reference, however as the 2010 amendment of AS1428.1 brought in the requirement for more clear and concise wording on the signs (eg: Female Toilet as opposed to “Toilet” or “Female”), we felt that customers would likely receive less objections from certifiers if the signs included “All Gender” in their wording.
This would also keep consistencies in our layouts when compared to the other signs containing “Male” “Female” and “Unisex” in the descriptions.
The reasoning behind the toilet symbol rather than the half man / half woman symbol that some suppliers use, is that not everyone identifies with any part of them being male or female. This symbol for some is not inclusive and is in fact offensive to them.
The National Construction Code (NCC) Part FP2.1 requires the sanitary facilities to be provided to several factors including the gender of the building occupants. Part F2.3 requires that separate facilities be provided for male and female occupants unless it is a building containing less than 10 employees, of which a unisex facility may be provided instead. Once the minimum requirements have been met under the Deemed to Satisfy provisions, All Gender toilets would be able to be certified under a Performance Based Assessment.
You can find All Gender facility signs available for purchase through our online store.