Provision of toilet facilities policy

In recognition of the diversity of its community of staff, students and visitors, Imperial College commits to ensuring diversity of provision of toilet facilities. At present this includes men-only and women-only facilities, as well as gender-neutral facilities, and provision of accessible toilets. As part of our duty of care to the Imperial College community, we want every person to have access to the facilities they feel most comfortable using. At the same time, we recognise not only the changing of the demographics of our staff and students, but also the dynamics of societal attitudes to gender identity. We aim therefore to have a policy for provision of toilet facilities that is proactive and forward-looking.

1. The precise level and mixture of provision shall be reviewed every two years by Estates (in consultation with EDIC) in light of expected changes in the demographics and needs of the college community. This review will be reported to and approved by the EDI Strategy Group.

2. The College will meet in full its legal obligations for provision of accessible toilets and ensure that this is sufficient to serve the requirements of disabled students and staff.

3. The College will commit to increasing the provision of gender-neutral toilets in each existing building on campus, unless practical and/or fiscal constraints make this impossible.

a. If a building currently has no gender-neutral toilet, opportunity will be sought through refurbishment works to create new facilities. Prior to such refurbishment, there will be consultation between Estates and local users (students and staff), the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Centre (EDIC), and appropriate representatives of LGBTQ+ and disabled students and staff.

b. Estates will appoint a named individual to be responsible for ensuring this consultation takes place.

4. Ideally, gender-neutral toilet facilities should be single cubicle toilets, with integrated washing facilities and floor to ceiling doors.

5. The College will commit to the provision of gender-neutral toilets in each new building on campus. The extent of provision will be determined through consultation between Estates, EDIC and staff and student representatives (as in 4a above). A minimum of one gender-neutral toilet per floor should be attained, subject to item 4 above, but this does not define the limit of ambition of our policy.

6. Estates will maintain a database of all existing toilet facilities. This will include gender-neutral and accessible toilets. These existing facilities will be advertised on the College web-site and clearly indicated on campus maps.

7. Estates will maintain a database of all scheduled refurbishment works that will add to unisex toilet provision; these will be advertised on the College web-site to facilitate consultation.

8. The conversion of women’s toilets to gender neutral toilets is not to be used as a solution to increase overall capacity in a building.

9. The College will clearly communicate its policy on provision of toilet facilities to students and staff.

10. Gender-neutral toilets will be identified/badged using the word ‘Toilet’.

11. This policy document will be reviewed every two years. The next review is scheduled to take place by September 2021.

Professor Stephen Curry, Assistant Provost (EDI), October 2019