Questions about tactile restroom maps.

What is a tactile restroom map?

A tactile restroom map is a raised floor plan of a restroom, mounted on the wall at the entrance. You read it with your fingertips before you go in. The walls, stalls, sinks, and amenities are raised icons, each labeled in braille and in bold print, and an arrow marks where you are standing at the door. In a few seconds you know the shape of the room and where everything is, so you can walk straight to what you need instead of searching by hand.

Every GuideDot map is custom to its room, because restrooms are almost never identical, even in the same building.

Who is it for?

The map is made with and for blind people, and everyone at the door can use it.

• Blind visitors read the braille labels and feel the layout, then use the restroom without touching surfaces they did not mean to touch.
• Low vision visitors see the bold, high contrast layout and the large print labels up close.
• Wheelchair users see which stall is the accessible one and where it is before opening any doors.
• Parents find the changing table.
• Seniors and people with limited mobility know which stall has grab bars.
• First-time visitors in an airport, campus, hospital, or venue get a quick picture of an unfamiliar room.
• Facilities, accessibility, and DEI teams get a visible, touchable sign that the building takes access seriously.

What kinds of buildings use it?

Any building with a public or shared restroom. GuideDot maps are made for transit stations and airports, university and school buildings, libraries and museums, hospitals and clinics, offices and coworking spaces, hotels, conference and event venues, restaurants and cafés, and government buildings. Single-user rooms, multi-stall rooms, all gender rooms, and family or companion care rooms are all covered, and a set for every restroom in a building is the usual order.

Where on the wall does it go, and how does a blind person find it?

The map is mounted directly below the existing restroom sign, on the same wall at the entrance. Blind visitors already search the wall by the door for the braille room sign, so the map is right under their hand once they find it. Its top edge sits just under the sign, so the whole map stays within comfortable reach. We deliver the map ready to mount with placement instructions, or we install it for you.

Two more things make it findable. Tell your front desk and facilities staff that the map exists so they can mention it, and add one line to your website’s accessibility page. Blind visitors often check a venue’s accessibility page before they arrive, and a note that every restroom has a tactile map at the door is exactly what they are looking for.

Each map also carries a QR code that links to guidedot.io.

What is shown on the map?

The walls of the room, the entrance and which way the door swings, each stall and which one is the accessible stall, toilets, urinals, sinks, hand dryers and towel dispensers, grab bars, changing tables, showers where there are any, and a room label such as ALL GENDER, MEN, or WOMEN. An arrow at the door marks where you stand. Labels are short and singular: a row of sinks reads SINK once, at the middle of the row, because position alone shows there are several. The result is a plate you can read in a few seconds, not a diagram you have to study.

What do you need from us to make one?

Either a walkthrough video or a visit from us. A short video of the restroom from your phone is enough: start at the door, sweep slowly around the room, and pause on each stall and fixture. Or we can visit and scan the room ourselves. A floor plan helps if you have one, but it is not required. Either way, we confirm a few details with you, such as which stall is the accessible one and which way the entrance door swings.

How long does it take?

About a week from scan to mounting for a typical restroom. We design the map from your video or our scan, print it, verify it, and deliver it ready to mount or install it for you. Sets for several restrooms in one building are usually done together in the same week.

What does it cost?

Each map is designed for its room, so we quote per site. Email bhavya@guidedot.io with a restroom count and, if you have them, a floor plan or a phone video, and we will reply with a quote. Identical or mirrored restrooms cost less. Pilot sites get founding-partner pricing, held for as long as they keep their maps.