Enhance Single-User Restrooms with Cylindrical Status Indicator Locks

What is one simple way to improve the accessibility of a single-user restroom? Add a status indicator lock, which shows occupancy at a glance. This helpful feature can make a world of difference to privacy and comfort. The Arrow APL Series cylindrical door lock is easy-to-install and retrofit, making it seamless to upgrade. Learn how a status indicator lock is a profound way to improve single-user restrooms for end-users.

Creating Neutral Spaces

Gender-neutral restrooms are inclusive because they can be used by anyone. These enclosed rooms offer a discrete alternative to segregated bathrooms with multiple stalls. They are also a logical way to comply with recent legislation.

For example, bathroom bills prohibit users from using a restroom that doesn’t match their biological gender. But a single-occupant restroom provides a middle ground that is an ideal solution for organizations that must follow the law but also want to be welcoming.Some states are going in a different direction by requiring at least one single-user restroom, such as this pending bill in California for K12 schools. The state had previously established that all single-occupancy toilets must be marked as gender neutral in 2016. The state of Pennsylvania also has a universal restroom policy that stipulates at least one single occupancy restroom per floor in new construction as well as where feasible in renovated buildings.

Every type of gender-neutral bathroom can benefit from having an easy-to-read occupancy display. The International Plumbing Code (IPC) already requires a status indicator on family and assisted-aid restrooms – that same sense of security can be extended to all single-user restrooms.

Diverse User Range

Universal bathrooms are also appreciated by anyone who needs extra support, space, and time when using a restroom. This includes persons with disabilities, older adults, and individuals with a mobility aid. It’s also common for adults with small children, medical staff or caregivers with a patient, and direct support professionals assisting a dependent to favor gender-neutral restrooms in the absence of a family restroom.

A status indicator lock ensures these occupants can take care of themselves or anyone they are aiding without feeling the pressure to hurry or be disturbed. They can have confidence that the occupancy display lets others know to seek another restroom so they can finish at their leisure.

Privacy and Safety

A public restroom is a place of dread for some users. Many feel vulnerable because of shared walls, gaps between partitions, and sounds that carry. The fear that someone will accidentally barge in can be grueling.

Individuals who benefit from the solitude of a single-user restroom:

• Anyone with a health condition that makes it difficult or slow to relieve themselves
• Persons managing menstruation needs, postpartum products, a colostomy bag, or a G-tube
• Someone abiding by religious sanitary customs, for example, a lota, which is commonly used be people of the Muslim faith
• Anyone who is transgender, intersex, or nonbinary using a restroom that doesn’t adhere to their assigned sex at birth

A status indicator lock is a reliable way to ease anxiety for these groups. It’s a contactless way to know if the bathroom is available. This minimizes the likelihood that someone would rattle the door handle, which can be an alarming experience for the user within. The Arrow APL Series cylindrical indicator has a rigid handle when locked, which further minimizes disruption.

Arrow APL Series Cylindrical Indicator Lock

Our APL Series has a color-coded status indicator, with a bold green for open and red for occupied that can be viewed from any 180-degree angle. It also uses an icon with a locked and unlocked padlock to confirm availability. The symbol is even sideways so the device can be installed on a right or left handed door. . The device is also ADA compliant with one-motion egress to prevent lockouts and has a 3-year mechanical warranty.

Could your facility benefit from the added securtiy and privacy of single-user restrooms? Fill out the form below to get in touch with our team of experts about how the APL Series indicator lock can add value to your building today.