Accessible & Gender Neutral Toilets

Guidance on the provision or conversion of Gender Neutral Toilets (GNTs)

We are committed to creating and sustaining an inclusive work and study environment for all staff and students. We recognise that some members of the University community may identify as being non-binary and/or do not identify as either male or female and that non-gendered facilities such as toilets and changing facilities should be provided where possible. We are also mindful that some groups may not be comfortable with gender neutral toilets for religious or cultural reasons and will therefore take steps to ensure that both gendered and gender-neutral toilets are available across our Estate. 

Gender Neutral Toilets

We are supportive of Bristol SU and NUS campaigns to install more gender neutral toilets (GNTs) across our Estate and as such have adopted the NUS definition of GNTs as ‘toilets and/or bathroom facilities which do not have gendered signage and which do not require the person using them to define into a gender.’

Guiding Principles

We aim to incorporate GNTs into new buildings where capacity allows.

When refurbishing toilets in a building any decisions regarding the provision of GNTs should be made within the context of the following guiding principles:

1. Any person should have access to use the facilities they feel most comfortable with. This means providing male only and female only facilities as well as gender neutral.
2. The conversion of specific disabled accessible toilets to gender neutral toilets is not recommended.
3. Conversion of women’s toilets to GNTs is not to be used as a solution to increase overall capacity in a building.
4. Conversion of existing functionally compliant toilets to GNTs is not funded from central maintenance budgets.
5. It is not possible to make up for loss of facilities in one building by providing facilities in a nearby one.
6. Any refurbishment of toilets should not cause the building provision to fall below minimum guidelines. The University must comply with Health and Safety legislation.