Formally known as Holiday Inn Select, a property franchised by InterContinental Hotels and Resorts, this hotel changed hands after making reservations during the month of March 2007 for September lodging. On arrival, this 117-room facility was discovered as being a Clarion Inn not in compliance with the ADA. An accessible room with a bathtub was offered to a person using a wheelchair who requested a roll-in shower. The photo of room 102 (below) clearly show inadequacies with a non-compliance. The patron (hotel guest) returned to the front desk.
The desk clerk then offered a room with a roll-in shower, but again the room was not ADA compliant. In perspective, an accessible room with a roll-in shower was required and reserved and should have contained all required modifications and equipment. It is not the obligation of a patron to describe the Code of Federal Regulations to lodging facilities when making reservations, but rather expect lodging accommodations meet or exceed the requirements of the Federal law under the ADA. Proprietors are required to have their premises inspected by a qualified ADA consultant or building inspector familiar with the Federal law to prevent potential injury and meet compliance of the law.
It was impossible to access the commode without moving the "shower transfer bench" out of the shower because there was not adequate space to use the commode. In other words, if the shower bench was inside the shower then the commode could not be accessed with the use of a wheelchair.
Other problems encountered with this property were, (but not limited to), the bed higher than a standard height, passenger loading and unloading, improper curb ramps and no protection for persons with disabilities during increment weather at the main entrance.
Parking for an accessible van with lift was located only at the far end of a sidewalk, in front of the driveway to the main entrance.
There was no covered parking for passenger loading or unloading and just look at the height of the curb, in the photo below on the far right, intended only for persons without disabilities?
4851 S. Washington Avenue, Titusville, FL
September 6, 2007
This property with 186 rooms could not offer two beds in an accessible room with a roll-in shower or an adjoining room for a companion, with an advanced six-month pre-paid reservation. The companion was assigned two floor levels above the accessible room upon arrival. In the accessible room (Room 257), a long entry hall into the room created the need to leave the door open until entering far enough into the room to turn the wheelchair around, return to close the door and then return to the main interior of the room by backing up the wheelchair through the corridor. A serious ant problem was discovered in Room 257 at this facility during date of stay.
4116 North Ocean Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL
September 9, 2007
With reservations made six months in advance, at the date of stay, this 160-room hotel did not have an ADA compliant room containing two beds and the companion was directed to a separate floor. Assistance requiring to relocate the handheld shower, later discovered it did not work and required repair. The access control for the door did not work and was not repaired for two days. Internet access was only available in the lower level lobby and the telephone message system did not work correctly. Persons using wheelchairs may experience difficulties with some exterior doors and may have trouble with the increased height of bed in accessible rooms at this prominent and tallest building located in Key West.
430 Duval Street, Key West, FL
September 10, 2007
Reservations for an accessible room with a roll-in shower did not provide a room with a roll-in shower in this 499-room facility, but instead provided a standard "accessible" bathroom not in compliance with the ADA.
After moving to another room, ADA compliance was still not obtained. This property did not provide two beds in the same room or an adjoining room for the companion.
930 North Atlantic Avenue, Daytona, FL
September 13, 2007
This 406-room lodging facility appeared to have it all together, until entering the accessible room with a roll-in shower and finding the room not in compliance. Caution: When accepting a hotel room without an ADA compliant transfer bench - you are putting your safety at risk!
2715 Fern Valley Road, Louisville, KY
October 30, 2007
Frequently found in lodging accommodations is the above "bench seat" many proprietors believe to be compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as a Bath Transfer Bench. This bath seat is not intended for use in public accommodations and does not meet or exceed the ADA requirements or the United States Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section, according to the Code of Federal Regulations under a Title III. This type of seat can be dangerous when a person attempts a transfer from a wheelchair. If you roll into a lodging accommodation and see this bath seat, do not compromise: 1) Roll yourself back out of the room to the front desk, 2) complain to the management and 3) request a room that meets ADA compliance!
Accessible Lodging?
There seems to be a serious problem with obtaining a "wheelchair accessible room with a roll-in shower" for person using a wheelchair as a means of mobility, unable to walk or stand, and possibly traveling with a companion. If you travel with a companion or personal care attendant (PCA) who should be in the same room with you, you are lucky to get a queen size bed much less two double beds because most often rooms are equipped with only one bed. Why is this? Why should a person with a disability (PWD) traveling with a PCA or companion be forced to sleep in the same bed? (Persons without disabilities can often have as many as four people assigned to one room!) Hotel managements explain it is because they had to make adequate room for the enlarged bathroom to accommodate the wheelchair.
This explanation is rather hard to believe when seeing enough room for two beds and proven when finding a king-size bed, a large table, a roll-a-way stretched out and still maneuvering room for a wheelchair. Yet there may be no grab bars for the toilet (that lacks sufficient clearance) or even a roll-in shower in the bathroom. Apparently, there is some sort of misunderstanding as to what many hotels consider "wheelchair accessible with a roll-in shower" as being a "handicap room" which may only have grab bars in the bathtub area. The truth of the matter is there is no such thing as a "handicap" room. A room for PWD is either accessible or not - if a person had a "handicap", the person would be involved with sports and not trying to obtain rest.
A requested and reserved "wheelchair accessible room with a roll-in-shower" may contain anything from one double bed with a bathtub equipped with grab bars, to a larger room with two king size beds, a roll-in shower and a toilet with grab bars. When traveling alone, it is dangerous and awkward to end up with a bathtub if you depend on a wheelchair for mobility, have paralysis, or limited strength. After distinctively requesting a wheelchair accessible room with a roll-in-shower, reserving a room with a guarantee (even for late arrival) should provide you with the accessible room you requested, (be it with a bathtub or roll-in shower). Accessible bathrooms containing bathtubs must also meet ADA standards and contain the proper seating in the bathtub - but, if you cannot get your legs over the tub, a room with an accessible bathtub is of no value to you and in fact could be dangerous.
Flimsy plastic shower benches are unsafe for anyone transferring from a wheelchair to an accessible roll-in-shower or a bathtub in an accessible bathroom. (Does the hotel management think a person can roll them self with a power wheelchair under running water in the shower stall?) Travel with a companion or PCA is often an embarrassing situation when finding only one bed. "We" end up having to pay for two rooms, someone has to agree to sleep on a roll-a-way, or demand an additional room free of charge, which in itself is dangerous, if the PWD needs to have 24/7 care and a royal pain, if the PWD requires general assistance. In addition, if a lodging facility is not in compliance with accessible accommodations, (meeting readily achievable and feasible criteria), the facility could be placing itself in an awkward situation with potential liability should a PWD encounter injury and most PWD do not want to add injury to insult.
The final gripe: Persons without disabilities are typically offered two beds with up to four adults in one room. PWD are lucky to get two beds in an accessible room with a roll-in shower and in many cases offered a roll-a-way bed for the second bed. This is simply not acceptable, anymore than being questioned about your traveling companion.
You are a mother traveling with your 23-year old son who is a recent quadriplegic of approximately two-years. The hotel you stay in does not have two beds in the accessible room with a roll-in shower, and provides a room a few doors away at no charge. You accept the room because there is not sufficient room for a roll-a-way bed, with the King-size bed positioned where it is, and the cumbersome wheelchair. Your son is a large man and your concern for him having sufficient sleep prevails over everything else.
You decide to check on your son before retiring for the evening. (Remember, your son cannot move. Cannot pick up the telephone to call for help, so you leave him with a cellular he can operate.) You reach the door to his room, and the key does not work, so you return to your room and call the desk clerk, who asks you to go and get a new key. You do so, and return to your son's room, but this key also does not work. Your heart begins to pound and fear sets in as you realize the door is jammed. You go back to your room and call the desk clerk again, who sends a security guard upstairs. The security guard uses his master key, but cannot open the door. You explain to him that your son could not possibly lock the door, and you call your son on the cellular to tell him everything is okay, but there is a problem with the door. You explain there is a security man there with you, and promise to be inside the room shortly.
At this, the security man realizes the seriousness of the problem. He is a large man, takes several steps backwards, and rams the door with all the strength he can muster with his shoulder. The door bursts open and you fight the tears as you realize everything is okay, even though it seemed to take an eternity to reach your son. Then the security guard discovers the night latch was loose, flipped over, as you closed the door behind you earlier. This is a true story. It happened to a member in Hendersonville, Tennessee. According to our resources, the night latch problem is not uncommon in hotel rooms. Please do not let this happen to you if you are traveling with a person who needs your assistance. Prevent it by demanding two beds in the same room as the room with the roll-in shower, or an adjoining room with a connecting door in the interior of the accessible room that can be left open, at no charge to you. (Roll-a-way beds are not acceptable.) This could be a matter of life or death. Don't risk it.
The Very BAD
Travel during 2001 with a PCA proved to be a year of experience in the world of inaccessible hotel accommodations. After over twelve (12) years of the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) providing standards for lodging accommodations in the Code of Federal Regulations from the U.S. Department of Justice, few hotels complied with the federal law. To say this was disappointing is absurd; to say this was positively despicable is fact.
Wheel Me On... became determined to help make forthcoming years more accessible for travel away from home. If hotel facilities are not aware of what PWD require, then for our own safety and the well-being of others, persons who do know, need to let proprietors know. Approaching the 20th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, travel is only "somewhat better" with obtaining a completely accessible room and the correct number of bed(s) reserved.
Another important "amenity" are smoking and non-smoking rooms. Many hotel properties allow smoking in accessible rooms containing bathtubs, but not in accessible rooms containing roll-in showers. Why are proprietors discriminating against persons requiring a roll-in shower? It is important to mention there is no "requirement" regarding smoking VS non-smoking rooms, but if the lodging facility is going to allow a percentage of rooms for able-bodied persons to be smoking, then why not offer the same to PWD? Furthermore, commercial equipment containing air freshener and disinfectant is readily available for commercial properties and lodging accommodations.
And finally... this photo is a great example of leaving a "wheelchair accessible" room in the morning. Fondly referred to as "Trash City", this mess remained directly in front of the room to the door of the so-called "accessible room" overnight, and into the next morning. The question is: "Is THIS what hotel management(s) think of people who use wheelchairs as a means of mobility?
If you have a problem with hotel accessibility after viewing this page, please consider retaining your receipts, documenting with photos, making notes of dates, problems, and persons at the facility you complained to, then join the efforts of Wheel Me On... by correcting the problem through the proper channels or working with us as a team.
Persons with disabilities using wheelchairs for mobility have waited long enough for accommodations to meet the requirements set by the Americans with Disabilities Act and the Department of Justice.
Why Not Two Beds?
Often, it is extremely difficult to understand the method to the madness of placing a king-size bed into a hotel room with a roll-in shower that could clearly contain two regular size beds. Why are hotels so insistent on providing only one bed? The manager at this hotel had no reason, but was quick to offer an adjoining room, free of charge, for an attendant. Now, this is perfectly acceptable, if you don't mind being separated from your Care Attendant or Companion, but what about the many travelers who need 24-hour care situated within hearing distance and not on the other side of a wall? Think about it.
Rooms May Not Only Be The Problem
The following photos give a clear idea of other potential problems at a hotel. When I first saw the motorcycle prominently parked in the middle of a no-parking zone, my first thought was to pull in front of the main doors and honk my horn.
However, a passenger with me said, "Go ahead and pull into the space, and we'll see if you can clobber the bike with your lift." The passenger jumped out of the van with my camera and proceeded to take some of these photos, then handed it back to me to obtain scenes from the lift of the motorcycle.
To say the least, this was an interesting experience with the camera being passed back and forth. Please notice how close the lift on my van comes to the center-line (divider) of the "no parking zone".
Apparently, it was also interesting to either a passerby or a hotel employee who stood on the curb, and watched to see if I was going to hit the motorcycle.
Well, I didn't knock over the motorcycle, but I did manage to get a bird's eye view of the license plate.
Moreover, whom did this motorcycle belong to?
THE MANAGER!!!
Just Keep Wheeling...
