In the last year, more than 16 million Americans with disabilities booked an accessible hotel or motel stay for vacation. That’s more than half of all adults with a disability in the country! These travelers spent an estimated $75, on average, for a night’s stay. Overall, the number of accessible hotel and motel reservations made is rising dramatically.
However, a number of people with disabilities report obstacles of some kind, despite the fact that the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates that every hotel and motel ensure equally accessible facilities.
In the online magazine New Mobility, for example, Ashley Lyn Olson, CEO of wheelchairtraveling.com, says “Some hotels say ‘you can roll into the bathroom, totally,’ but I need a roll-in shower. Of course I can roll into the bathroom. And they don’t know the difference.” Another of her concerns is the height of the bed. “Sometimes I’ll use the bed sheets as a rope and climb up the bed. Definitely a pet peeve of mine,” she observes. “There’s no requirement for bed height by the ADA, which blows my mind”
Olson, who is an active traveler and founded wheelchairtraveling.com, suggests that people with disabilities take a very active role in the reconnaissance of the hotel or motel in which they intend to stay. Olson has had success talking one-on-one to maintenance or housekeeping staff people and describing her concerns so that pitfalls previously encountered can be avoided.
Tell us: what’s the biggest or most common barrier you’ve encountered while traveling? Do you find accessible hotel and motel rooms to actually be up to code?
If you would like help with barriers to access while traveling, please contact us.