Our Inclusive Bathroom Sign - Now Free and In The Public Domain

July 16, 2024

in:

LGBTQ+
Patients

Our Search for a Bathroom Sign

When we opened Lighthouse Infusions & Seattle Ketamine, we knew we wanted to create an environment that was welcoming and inclusive for ALL of our patients. One crucial aspect of this was ensuring our bathroom signage reflected our commitment to inclusivity and accessibility. We needed a sign that not only indicated that the bathroom is ADA compliant, but also one that is inclusive of all genders, including non-binary individuals.

I searched online, hoping to find a bathroom sign that met these criteria with simple yet effective design elements. After hours probing the depths of the internet, I still couldn’t find anything that adequately represented our vision. Most available signs lacked inclusivity, looked unprofessional, or didn’t clearly convey the message we wanted to send.

Making Our Own

Frustrated, I realized that I wasn’t going to find the perfect sign. Fortunately, having a background in art and graphic design, I decided to create my own. We wanted the design to be simple, clear, inclusive, and easy to understand at a glance. After sketching various ideas, I settled on a design that included the transgender symbol, the International Symbol of Access, and the word “Everyone”. Because the design is simple and easily interpreted, I decided to use the word “Everyone” instead of “Restroom” to make it clear that inclusivity is a priority.

The transgender symbol is a combination of the female symbol (Venus), the male symbol (Mars), and a prong representing both genders (androgyne). While there are many symbols to represent individuals across the non-binary spectrum, I felt that the transgender symbol would be easily recognized by cis-gender individuals as applying to both women and men, while the third prong shows inclusivity to those who don’t fit into the binary construct. This, coupled with the International Symbol of Access, ensured that the sign was inclusive of all gender identities, as well as indicating that the bathroom is ADA compliant for individuals with disabilities.

With the design finalized, I found a sign maker and had our bathroom sign printed. We chose to go with the same dark blue we use for our logo and the background of this website (hex: #253648), on 8”x8” brushed aluminum, with radiused corners. The final product is a functional and attractive bathroom sign, that captures the inclusive message we want to communicate.

The Reception

Since installing the sign, the response from our patients and their companions has been overwhelmingly positive. Many have expressed their appreciation for the inclusive and welcoming message it conveys. We serve a diverse community, including many LGBTQ+ individuals, and we want everyone to feel safe and accepted. An inclusive bathroom sign is more than just a piece of décor or something functional; it’s a signal that we are allies to the LGBTQ+ community and that our clinic is a safe space where everyone can be their authentic selves without fear of judgment or discrimination.

Releasing Into The Public Domain

In an effort to promote inclusivity beyond the walls of our clinic, we have decided to release our design into the public domain. We believe that making this design freely available to all will help other businesses and organizations create more inclusive environments.

By releasing the design without any copyright restrictions, we hope to encourage widespread adoption of inclusive signage. Whether you’re a business owner looking to update your facilities or a sign-maker seeking to introduce new products to sell to customers, you’re welcome to use our bathroom sign in any way you see fit. This includes commercial use, so businesses can incorporate the design into their offerings without any legal constraints.

We’ve made the design available in multiple formats and sizes, including both raster and vector images. This ensures that the sign can be used in a variety of settings, and vector images can be scaled to any size without losing quality. All bathroom sign images are hereby released into the public domain with the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 license.

Get Your Own Sign

To use our bathroom sign, simply download the image in the size and format that best suits your needs. You can then have a sign made by any sign-maker, choosing the colors, size, and materials that work best for your space. The vector images, such as SVG files, can be infinitely expanded to any size without pixelation or loss of quality, ensuring a crisp and clear sign no matter the dimensions.

There are no copyright restrictions, so you’re free to use the sign in digital formats, print your own, or have it produced by a professional. You are also welcome to modify the design in any way you choose.

For anyone wanting to modify the design or make their own, I recommend sticking with vector images so that you always have a high-quality image that’s infinitely scalable. If you need a vector-image editor, I can recommend Inkscape, which is a fantastic piece of open-source software I used to create the design.

Spread The Love

If you like this design or if you decide to use it, we would appreciate it if you could share a link to this blog post. This will help increase visibility and make it easier for others to find and use for their own signage. Your support in spreading the word can make a difference. By sharing this design, we hope to see more inclusive bathroom signs in businesses and public spaces, contributing to a more equitable society.

Thank you for joining us in this mission. Download any of the images below and help us make the world a more inclusive place, one bathroom sign at a time.

Download:

Just click on any of the images below to download. All of these bathroom sign images are released into the public domain under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 license.