We ask Target to continue to be an industry leader and replace loud hand dryers in restrooms.

The hand dryers can negatively impact:

Small children, close to the level of the dryers with high decibel readings. Mothers share that their children refuse ad adult to use public restrooms with the dryers (loud auto-flush toilets are a concern as well). Several mothers (myself included) feel that the noise significantly stresses young children, with and without special needs.Children and adults with sensory challenges, or on the autism spectrum are more likely to experience anxiety with the noise. Theaters and other spaces are recognizing the need, with special "sensory" showings of movies for example. Adults with dementia can find them disorienting. Persons with hearing challenges and/or hearing aids.

I started this petition as a mom frustrated with this issue personally for years, and as a professional working with parents, many of whom have children with sensory challenges. It seems to be a universal complaint, while the ultra-fast dryers become more common. Please consider at minimum investigating these concerns and working towards making Target a safe space, accessible to all.

Dr. Levack Drever, a sound researcher wrote, "A wide range of vulnerable subgroups are being seriously affected by hand dryer noise, resulting in unwelcome stress in this sensitive space, and in extreme cases people are being excluded from public spaces, the workplace and schools.” And, "An acoustic test found the sound decibels reached by the dryers was 11 times higher in a typical public toilet than in product testing laboratories." Super fast hand dryer's as loud as a drill, research suggests