Metro Jacksonville

Community => Business => Topic started by: ben america on May 25, 2015, 03:21:19 PM

Title: Genderless Bathroom Signage
Post by: ben america on May 25, 2015, 03:21:19 PM
I own a Sign company. We're licensed commercial sign contractors. I am planning on buying half a dozen of these signs:

(https://scontent-mia1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpa1/v/t1.0-9/11225744_10152974089073380_2947231358990911327_n.jpg?oh=9fa5f9c5911abd462f0a170e4808f4ba&oe=5602060A)

I have a few friends that own businesses. Their bathrooms are simply toilets and sinks, each ADA compliant. I want to donate these signs to them to replace the signs that they have.

Then I run into this in Florida Plumbing Code:

(https://scontent-mia1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xat1/v/t1.0-9/11377294_10152974159443380_1176007299323400795_n.jpg?oh=d0bc9c2e7644f8a858f5479444367d94&oe=55C4BDA6)

Not sure if I will end up with useless signs, so I am curious if anyone has any experience with this.
Title: Re: Genderless Bathroom Signage
Post by: Charles Hunter on May 25, 2015, 03:49:44 PM
How does that apply to "Family" rest room many places have?

If only one person at a time can be in the room, aren't they "separate"?  I've been in places that have rest rooms set up like that.
Title: Re: Genderless Bathroom Signage
Post by: ben america on May 25, 2015, 07:19:18 PM
Me too. I'm really hoping I can get some clarity on this.
Title: Re: Genderless Bathroom Signage
Post by: jason_contentdg on May 26, 2015, 06:57:33 AM
With tenant having a required number of toilets, and are only required to have rooms that only have one toilet and one sink that singage would be fine. If the separate bathroom facilities have more than one toilet inside of it, they won't work because of the separation and privacy issue in the code.
Title: Re: Genderless Bathroom Signage
Post by: ben america on May 26, 2015, 09:59:25 AM
Thanks Jason!
Title: Re: Genderless Bathroom Signage
Post by: ProjectMaximus on May 26, 2015, 04:27:26 PM
But will the mayor support this sign?
Title: Re: Genderless Bathroom Signage
Post by: jcjohnpaint on May 26, 2015, 04:48:07 PM
They had genderless bathrooms on the Battlestar Galactica, so it is ok with me. 
Title: Re: Genderless Bathroom Signage
Post by: Jaxson on May 26, 2015, 05:38:12 PM
It's good to see you here, Ben America!
Title: Re: Genderless Bathroom Signage
Post by: Tacachale on May 27, 2015, 10:52:01 AM
Ben, anyplace that's allowed to have just one toilet should be fine having this sign. Those bathrooms are typically labeled unisex anyway. As Jason says, you should also be able to use them on places that have multiple bathrooms with only one toilet each. In fact, I haven't seen this in Florida, but some businesses that only have two single-toilet restrooms will have a womens' room and a unisex room (among other reasons, it helps cut down on lines for the women's room, which backs up more frequently than men's). A sign like yours should be fine for that unisex room as well.

Increasingly, newer buildings have started to include third bathrooms, generally labeled unisex, family, or gender neutral bathrooms. My understanding is that anything over the two required gendered bathrooms is considered extra. Your sign should be fine there as well. We've started doing this at UNF.
Title: Re: Genderless Bathroom Signage
Post by: Spitfire on May 27, 2015, 11:00:24 AM
Quote from: jcjohnpaint on May 26, 2015, 04:48:07 PM
They had genderless bathrooms on the Battlestar Galactica, so it is ok with me.

That's the first thing that came to my mind when I saw it.

/highfive
Title: Re: Genderless Bathroom Signage
Post by: ben america on May 31, 2015, 01:59:38 PM
The fact that this is the only place I have posted this where Battlestar Galactica was brought up as part of the discussion says something...something AWESOME.

So far I have interest from Chamblin's, Bold Bean, Brew and possibly Knead Bakeshop. Monday I will start passing a proof around to some local manufacturers and attempt to source it locally. I have been advised privately to seek IP protection but it seems as if these designs may already have been trademarked based on my research thus far. Therefore, a design competition might be in order, with the winning selection protected and the rights assigned to an organization to promote elimination of institutionalized discrimination.

As an aside, my wife pointed out that at one time codes requiring bathrooms for different sexes was progressive. This experience demonstrates our "more perfect union" and our need to revisit things we once thought fixed.