May 28, 2021 | Better Public Restrooms, Code Improvements and Design, Current Events
Here is it! This Memorial Day weekend marks the start of summer. Americans will be taking to the road in waves not seen in nearly two years. You’ll be at rest stops, you’ll be at resorts and vacation spots, you’ll be at parks and beaches. What we want to know is: Are America’s Public Restrooms open? What condition are they in? So, head over to your favorite social sites – Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, and Pinterest and show us **discreetly** the good, the bad, and the ugly of restrooms in the USA. Use the hashtag: #OpenUP_ARA. Feeling old school? getinfo@americanrestroom.org works, too!
May 27, 2021 | Better Public Restrooms
It must have been on live TV, perhaps a sporting event, when I saw it. I’m one of those people who will do anything to avoid watching commercials. The fact that I was actually watching a commercial is noteworthy. But the deep and measured buttery baritone voice-over grabbed me right away: “Dignity . . . this thing you can neither see nor measure, but that demands the return of small moments in attempts to steal.”
May 20, 2021 | Better Public Restrooms
The American Restroom Association is very gratified to be closely connected to the Washington, DC area efforts of the People for Fairness Coalition (PFFC) and their Downtown DC Public Restroom Initiative. PFFC Advisor Marcia Bernbaum and volunteers have been working tirelessly to see two public restrooms installed in areas of desperate need in our nation’s capital. It is heartening to see their progress, but also frustrating to witness how exasperating the effort is. As you can read below, the initial introduction date of the legislation was Spring 2017(!). Marcia provided the following update:
Mar 22, 2021 | Better Public Restrooms
My new friend, Marcia Bernbaum, Mentor and Advisor to the People for Fairness Coalition (PFFC) in Washington, D.C., rang me up.
“Where is it?” she asked.
“Where’s what?” I replied.
“You know. The list.”
“The list?” I started to get concerned.
“THE LIST the ARA published in 2015 that catalogs the long, long rolls of the restroom challenged. It’s been a great resource for us. It has really helped us make our case for more public restrooms in our nation’s capital.”
Feb 16, 2021 | Better Public Restrooms
Early on in the pandemic, news outlets were flush with stories about the concerns surrounding public restrooms. People were worried that IF they went out, they’d have no place to go. Even in the best of recent times, public restrooms in the US were dismal or just plain non-existent. ARA President and Co-founder, Steve Soifer, calls them “the laughingstock of the developed world.”
Feb 11, 2021 | Better Public Restrooms, Code Improvements and Design
“Can an establishment deny me access to their restrooms?” This ranks as probably the number one most asked question to the American Restroom Association. The answer unfortunately is “yes,””no,” and “maybe.” We’ve provided some links in the copy below for your information.