Inclusive Restrooms

Campus Inclusive Restroom Study

MIT is committed to providing people of all abilities, cultures, gender identities, and gender expressions a safe and comfortable environment that meets the diverse needs of our community members.  

The Institute Community and Equity Office and the Office of Campus Planning are sponsoring a Campus Inclusive Restroom Study to outline an inclusive approach to MIT’s 730 public, non-residential restrooms, which occupy more than 200,000 square feet of space across campus. The study will engage many stakeholders across the Institute, including diversity, equity, and inclusion staff, the All-Gender Restrooms Working Group, the Disability Employee Resource Group and Student Disability Services, and the Office of Religious, Spiritual and Ethical Life (ORSEL). 

The results of the study will include a campus restroom plan that considers the mix of men’s, women’s and all-gender multi-user restrooms across campus. The study will also benchmark peer institution precedents and best practices, define a campus-wide restroom program, and prepare restroom design guidelines for minor retrofit, renovation and new construction.

During the fall 2022 semester, the team is engaging members of the MIT community to gather information as part of the study. Share your thoughts or questions with the study team.

Learn more about inclusive restrooms:

 

Related efforts

All-Gender Restrooms Working Group

In a related effort, this Working Group is charged with identifying pathways to expand access to all-gender restrooms in MIT buildings that are part of the MIT Cambridge campus, and creating sustainable mechanisms that will ensure access is maintained.  

While efforts may include the development of policies that impact additional MIT buildings and the expansion of inclusive restrooms, the efforts of this committee are viewed through the lens of impact on the expansion of access to all-gender restrooms.

This committee exists to facilitate the coordination of multiple efforts and Institute accountability – and support meaningful engagement by the communities most impacted.  

A current listing of designated all-gender restrooms located on the MIT Cambridge campus can be found using the pilot digital restroom directory created by the Facility Information Systems (FIS) team within the Office of Campus Planning, or by downloading pdfs of restroom locations (all-gender, as well as men’s and women’s) linked from the restroom directory; information about DAPER restrooms and locker rooms is also available online. If you have any questions about all-gender restrooms, please email restroom-question@mit.edu.

Restroom Gender Designation Change

Please see below for the steps to propose a change in restroom designation from single gender to all-gender.

Single-stall Restroom

Massachusetts and Cambridge building codes allow for single-stall/fixture/user restrooms to be designated all-gender. MIT community members may request that the signage for a single-user restroom be changed to all-gender by completing a signage request

Please note that the facilities contact for a department, lab, and/or center may be contacted for approval, and due to ongoing supply chain complications related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the final signage installation may take 8-10 weeks to complete once approved.

Multi-stall Restroom

In the state of Massachusetts, multi-stall/fixture/user restrooms require a “variance”, an approved variation from the state building code, in order to be designated all-gender. As a result, all requests for multi-stall restroom gender designation changes require a Committee for Renovation & Space Planning (CRSP) space change request. CRSP space requests should be completed by a DLC director or their designee and are necessary in order to pursue the required code variance. Several items need to be considered before pursuing a variance, including but not limited to: code required “potty parity” between men’s and women’s restrooms; the degree of retrofit or renovation required by code or capital renewal needs; and, any adjacent or related building or DLC program renovation needs. If you would like to consult with someone prior to submitting your request, you may reach out to the Office of Campus Planning.

Free menstrual products pilot

A pilot project led by a small group of undergraduates, and supported by Facilities and MindHandHeart provides free menstrual products in a small group of restrooms. Products are free in gender neutral bathrooms. Residential Life also provides free products in at least one restroom in each residence. While the Inclusive Restroom Study is being conducted, additional work is being done by Facilities (and supported by Women and Gender Studies) focusing on making menstrual products free in high traffic areas.

Incidents of potential vandalism

If you believe that an all-gender restroom has been vandalized, please complete an incident report form with the Institute Discrimination and Harassment Response Office (IDHR).