The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), of course, applies to lodging facilities such as hotels, motels and inns. Such places of public accommodation constructed after January 26, 1993 must be compliant with the ADA and also fall in line with the regulations relevant to compliance set forth by the Justice Department and the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design. In other words, hotels, motels, inns and other such lodging facilities must be accessible to people with disabilities.
Parking
If there are up to 25 spaces in the parking lot, there must be at least 1 van accessible space. For each additional 25 spaces, there must be 1 standard accessible space (at least 8 feet wide and 5 feet of aisle space). For up to 400 spaces, there only needs to be 1 van accessible space. If there are more than 400 spaces, there needs to be 7 standard accessible spaces and 2 van accessible spaces. If there are more than 500 spaces, there needs to be 2% accessible spaces of the total. If there are more than 1000 spaces there should be 1 accessible space for every 100 spaces over the 1000.One in every 8 accessible spaces must be van accessible spaces.
There must be appropriate signage for spaces; there also must be curb ramps, a level access aisle and an accessible route to the entrance of the lodgings.
Exterior Routes
There must be at least one accessible route for approaching and entering each facility of the hotel, motel or inn. This route cannot have steep slopes or abrupt level changes or steps and must not have objects protruding that could get in the way. Entrance into the building must be level so that people using wheelchairs can have easier access. The entrance must have at least a 32 inch width of passage clearance. The door handles must be operable by someone with a disabiity that might have limited dexterity.
Interior of Facility
All halls inside the facility should not have abrupt level changes or steps.
Registration and service counters must be no more than 36 inches high.
For locks on guest room doors in which you must use key cards, they must not be positioned any higher than 48 inches from the ground if there is a front approach and 54 inches from the ground if a parallel approach is provided.
Food counters must be 36 inches high and long, so that people using wheelchairs may use self-serve items. Five percent of fixed tables and counters in the food service area must be accessible; they must have 27 inches high of knee space underneath and 19 inches depth to allow for someone to position a wheelchair at the table. Tops of counters and tables should be 28-34 inches above the floor. Routes to accessible tables must have 36 inches of clear width and no abrupt level changes.Counters and bars must be at least 60 inches long and have a portion that has knee space so that someone in a wheelchair can use them.
Public restrooms must be accessible with at least 1 large accessible stall and an accessible sink and urinal. There must be room for someone using a wheelchair to approach the door and space to pull it open with a handle usable by someone with a disability. Inside the bathroom, there must be space to turn around in a wheelchair.
Signs should be on walls and 60 inches above the floor with braille and raised lettering.
Full size passenger elevators must be available if there are 2 or more stories to the building.
Guest Rooms
There should be accessible guest rooms of all the various kinds in the facility. Inside the rooms, there should be space around the beds to allow for transfers from wheelchair to bed. Controls in the room should be operable by someone who might have limited dexterity. There must be clear space to use the closets and to enter the bathrooms and use them. Grab bars should be installed alongside and behind toilets. The sink should be at a height accessible to someone in a wheelchair and with knee space underneath. Showers should have grab bars and allow space for transfers to shower chairs. Also there should be folding seats in the showers that are stable and operable by people with disabilities. For hotels with more than 50 rooms, roll-in showers should be provided.
Please contact us if you have found that a hotel or motel is inaccessible to people with disabilities.