July 18, 2024
During Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Month — and every day — Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) strives to create a travel experience that is accessible for all. Up to 1 in 4 (27%) of adults in the United States have some type of disability. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
To meet traveler needs, SEA is investing in facilities, customer service programs, and digital resources to make the airport welcoming, safe, and comfortable for everyone. Creating a welcoming place for all means updating spaces to make travel easier and more convenient. One of the most important stops on your airport journey will probably be a restroom. The Restroom Renovation Project is underway on the B, C, and D concourses to modernize these important spaces with lighter and brighter designs and improve accessibility.
Here’s what’s making SEA restrooms accessible and welcoming for all travelers.
1. All-gender restroom
SEA opened the all-gender restroom, located between gates D1 and D2, to create a space that is inclusive and accessible to people of all identities, abilities, and circumstances. The following features make the all-gender restroom accessible for people with disabilities.
- All stalls are 50% larger than traditional stalls. They include grab bars on either side that you can use to help yourself off or onto the toilet. The additional space in the stall allows you to pull your luggage in, provides more room to maneuver, and provides enough extra space for those using a cane or a walker
- Two designated stalls are wheelchair-accessible ADA-compliant. These restrooms are fully enclosed, with individual stalls that include a sink and fixtures at a lower height, and a push plate that opens and closes the stall door
- All stalls offer full-height locking doors and walls that frame each stall with no gaps to maintain privacy for every occupant. This allows people with disabilities or elderly adults and their different-gender caregivers to use the restroom more easily with enough room to move around. They won’t have to worry about which restroom to use and will have the space to assist
- Learn more about the all-gender restroom
2. Adult changing tables
Companion care restrooms (or single-user restrooms that feature adult changing tables) offer a private space for anyone who needs assistance from a caretaker or companion. SEA currently has three family restrooms with adult changing tables located in the International Arrivals Facility near Bag Claim 23 and on the N Concourse near gates N1 and N20. Stay tuned for more coming soon to gate C16 and gate D1. Eventually, each airport concourse will offer a companion care restroom.
Social media users shared how adult changing tables have made their travel experience easier.
“Bravo @PortofSeattle @flySEA for this adult changing table in the family bathroom of N gates. Yes, it's a small % of the flying population. Yes, it's probably more $$. And YES, you are making disabled people, parents, and caretakers' lives easier who travel. It's already not easy. #ADA”
“Seattle airport has several restrooms for families, those in wheelchairs, those that need a bit more privacy, kid changing tables ... and adult changing tables that height adjusts for ease of use. So impressed.”
3. Family restrooms
Family restrooms, or single-user restrooms, are available in all SEA concourses and are all fully accessible and ADA-compliant, which means they are designed to be accessed by someone using a wheelchair.
Locate the family restrooms at SEA.→
Accessible features include:
- Bars behind and on the side of the toilet to lift and lower
- Toilet set at a height for wheelchair accessibility
- Disposal placed at a lower level for wheelchair access
- Mirror height set lower for wheelchair access
- Toddler seat and changing table set lower for wheelchair access
- Sink placed at a level that leaves space for knees, and offers protection from pipes if pipes are hot from the water supply
Three family restrooms currently feature adult changing tables, with more on the way.
4. Biohazard disposal boxes
All SEA restrooms feature biohazard disposal boxes, which allow for the safe disposal of materials that pose a danger to human health or the environment. The boxes offer a safe place to dispose of sharp objects, like syringes used by those with diabetes, which is a disability covered by the ADA.
5. Automatic door openers
Family restrooms and wheelchair-accessible restrooms at SEA feature automatic door openers, which consist of a push plate or a panel that triggers an automatic door operator when pressed for easier entries and exits.
6. Spacious stalls
All restroom stalls in renovated restrooms at SEA are designed to provide extra space and include grab bars for people who can walk but may need extra space or support (like people who use walkers, crutches, canes, or those who need help sitting or standing).
