Is a picture worth 1000 words? Maybe yes and maybe no. Pictures, after all, are open to many interpretations. Some situations just don’t lend themselves to words. Apparently the world is in a transitional toilet state. Toilet signs used in bathrooms are one of those situations where pictures make more sense than words. Yet communication, local custom, and issues of public health intersect making even the best toilet sign complicated to understand.
According to the World Health Organization, 2.3 billion people “still do not have basic sanitation facilities such as toilets or latrines.” The U.N. is calling for “adequate and equitable sanitation and hygiene for all” by the year 2030. As progress is made, there will be a need for toilet education. And much of that education will come through signage.
Here’s a very interesting read about toilet signage as well as examples from around the world. Apparently World Toilet Day was on November 19, sorry to be late to the potty!
Interesting how different cultures deals differently with the subject of defecation! On a related note, at Bumrumgrad International Hospital in Bangkok, a sign in Arabic only advising not to wash feet in the sink! https://www.flickr.com/photos/kalboz/25595822618/
That’s an interesting one, Kalboz. Thanks for posting.
Quite a funny collection of toilet signs!
I agree. I find cultural communication interesting no matter the subject. Thanks for reading!