I took on this project in the hopes of providing Out on Campus with meaningful spatial analysis which could be presented to the university in a case for more gender-neutral washrooms on campus.
To make the project more manageable, I defined my study area as the main area of the Burnaby campus of Simon Fraser University, traversed by a wide variety of students, faculty, staff, and visitors. This particular study area was selected for its central location within the university (see Methodology). Criteria for inclusion in the study included public accessibility and reasonable expectation of a washroom nearby.
Residence was omitted from the study area as it is mostly composed of private, locked buildings and is not accessible to the public. Though, it is worth nothing that all washrooms in Residence are co-ed, with private stalls for toilets and showers, with the exception of those on single-gendered floors.
To be considered complete, this project would show the difficulty accessing gender neutral washrooms on campus, as well as provide a guideline for where further renovation could occur to increase accessibility.
study area: An area on the Simon Fraser University Burnaby campus which is accessible to the public, and where there is a reasonable expectation to be able to find washroom facilities
gender-neutral washroom: A washroom which is available for use by anyone, regardless of gender. Generally, these are single stall washrooms which are lockable from the inside, just as washrooms in a house. Occassionally they are equipped with baby change tables, showers, and feminine hygiene product dispensers.
gendered washroom: A washroom which is segregated for use by only males or only females.
Copyright © Lindsay Dignall, 2008