Ask Hank: For ADA hotel rooms, doesn’t the bed have to be low enough for a wheelchair user?

ada hotel bed

QUESTION

For ADA hotel rooms, doesn’t the bed have to be low enough for a wheelchair user?

ANSWER

Let’s start with the law:
American with Disabilities Amendments Act of 2008 P.L. 110-325
Title 42 – The Public Health and Welfare, Chapter 126 – Equal Opportunity for individual with Disabilities
Subchapter III – Public Accommodations and services operated by Private Entities

Sec. 12182. Prohibition of discrimination by public accommodations

(a) General rule

No individual shall be discriminated against on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation by any person who owns, leases (or leases to), or operates a place of public accommodation.

In the opinion of ACCESS, the bed is the foundation of the hospitality industry so it must be accessible.
We know from the ADA and ABA Accessibility Guidelines (Final Rule of July 23, 2004 with an effective date of September 21, 2004 by the Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board),  Section 604.4 Seats, that between 17 inches and 19 inches is the transfer height from the wheelchair to the water closet, so in the opinion of ACCESS, that too is the acceptable bed height to allow wheelchair access.

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