November 2019 - Parks & Recreation - 58

OPERATIONS
Privacy and Inclusion
Creating welcoming public facilities that truly serve
By Lindsey Peckinpaugh, AIA, LEED AP, RELi AP; and Jenny Stephens

P

ublic facilities, by definition and mission, aim to inclusively serve
their communities. Today, the definition of " inclusion " is broader
than ever, raising questions about how public institutions must
adapt in order to be inclusive for all. A recent reckoning with this
topic came in the form of a 2017 lawsuit against an Illinois school district,
where a student was denied the use of locker room facilities because she
was transgender. The case reinvigorated conversations about how to accommodate the needs of all users in public facilities.
In our work, this topic frequently
arises, as clients and their communities seek to better understand how
design can help them become more
accessible. We, in turn, look to research and informed conversations
with users to see how we can help
clients put inclusivity into practice.

What Does Inclusion Mean?

PHOTOGRAPHS COURTESY OF PERKINS AND WILL

Gender is often central to these
discussions, as more people today feel safe to express themselves

in ways that challenge traditional
norms. However, as institutions explore how best to serve diverse user
groups, our experience has shown
us that the dialogue we should be
having about inclusion isn't about
gender at all: it's about privacy.
Though inclusion has recently become a political flashpoint, we must
acknowledge that inclusive public
facilities that grant users more privacy have been around for years.
Consider, for example, the widely

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accepted family changing rooms
that quietly became common several decades ago. These larger spaces
have improved access for parents
with small children, the elderly and
adults who require a caretaker.
By using this concept as a jumping off point, communities can
consider how to design for the
needs of today's diversifying user
groups. Privacy - the ability to
choose how and whether to seclude oneself in order to carry out
a task, like changing clothes or
using the restroom - often determines one's decision to use a facility at all. Gender is rarely the only
key driver in inclusive design, but
it is a challenge frequently faced by
members of the transgender community, among other user groups.
A 2016 study (https://tinyurl.
com/ybr39t8s) from the National
Center for Transgender Equality reports: " Twelve percent of transgender people were verbally harassed in
public restrooms within the previous
year, 1 percent were physically attacked and 1 percent were sexually
assaulted. Nine percent said someone
denied them access to a bathroom. "
Out of fear of confrontation, almost
At this building leased by North Kansas
City Schools, inclusive restrooms are
shared by the elementary and middle
school-aged students. Boys and girls
alike use the restrooms harmoniously,
and staff have reported less bullying and
horseplay in the restrooms now that the
genders are no longer separated. Instances like this further prove that normalizing
empathy and inclusivity leads to a safer,
more comfortable experience for all.

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November 2019 - Parks & Recreation

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