by Barbara & Jim Twardowski
When the high school speech team sent out a plea for chaperones to accompany 11 teenagers, including our son, on an overnight trip from New Orleans to Lafayette, La., my husband and I volunteered. The speech coach reserved the hotel rooms and specifically requested a ”handicapped” room for us.
As we pulled off the highway into the hotel’s parking lot, it was obvious the property was old but not in a quaint, historic way. Our ground floor room did have sliding glass doors that faced the interior courtyard, a television set and free Internet access.
However, after a three-hour drive, the bathroom was the first amenity I wanted to inspect. Unfortunately, my wheelchair wouldn’t fit through the doorway. As I sat, staring into the inaccessible space, I noticed there were no grab bars or transfer bench in the standard bathtub, and the toilet had a low seat.
I called the front desk, thinking we’d been given the wrong room. The clerk repeated the room number and assured me it was “accessible.” Unable to change hotels, my only option was to use the public restroom in the hotel’s lobby.
During the author’s recent stay at a Hilton in New York, she appreciated accessible features such as a rolling desk and other furniture that could accommodate her wheelchair. Photo by Luan Tatum.
While my experience was extreme, it isn’t unusual for travelers with disabilities to find hotels disappointing. According to a 2005 survey, a whopping 60 percent of guests with disabilities who stayed overnight in paid accommodations had problems at these properties.
Physical barriers were mentioned
by 48 percent of respondents, customer service by 45 percent and communication barriers by 15 percent. The national survey of 1,373 adults was conducted by Harris Interactive for the Open Doors Organization (ODO) in cooperation with the Travel Industry Association of America.
ODO is a Chicago-based nonprofit that teaches businesses how to succeed in the disability market. The survey found that travelers with disabilities are a huge segment, spending $13.6 billion annually. And experts estimate that number could double — if the hospitality industry addresses obstacles.
ODO Director Eric Lipp said, “Many of the most common complaints identified by the study, such as heavy doors and lack of knowledge among staff, could be easily and inexpensively resolved. Travelers with disabilities would prefer rooms located on the first floor and within close proximity to a food court, elevators and transportation.”
A frequent business traveler, Lipp uses a scooter. He advises people with disabilities to speak up when they encounter an obstacle at a hotel. Ask to see the general manager or the manager on duty and calmly explain your problem.
“Remember, you are probably the first person to bring it up,” Lipp said. “A hostile standoff doesn’t work. My experience has been that most managers are willing to come to a reasonable solution.”
Knowing when a property was built can give you a clue to its accessibility.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) states that hotels, motels, inns and lodging designed or constructed after Jan. 26, 1993, must be usable by persons with disabilities. The newer the property, the more likely that it’s wheelchair-friendly.
Hotels with 200 or fewer rooms are required to have one ADA room for every 25 rooms. Properties with less than 50 rooms aren’t required to have rooms with roll-in showers.
The best time for hoteliers to incorporate accessible design is before they construct a property. John P.S. Salmen is a licensed architect who specializes in barrier-free and universal design. President of Universal Designers & Consultants in Takoma Park, Md., he’s authored several books, including Accommodating All Guests and Everyone’s Welcome.
Salmen advises companies on accessibility solutions.
“The ADA is a civil rights law — not a building code,” he explained. “Architects and contractors are required to comply with local building codes, which are different from the ADA.”
This discrepancy between the ADA and building codes causes confusion and explains why accommodations vary in their accessibility. “The problem is clarity in the rules. And ADA standards are not perfect,” said Salmen.
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