ADA Checklist for New Lodging Facilities

ADA Requirements

Under the ADA, hotels, motels, inns and other places of lodging designed or constructed after January 26, 1993, must be usable by persons with disabilities. To meet this requirement, lodging facilities must comply with certain regulations published by the Justice Department. The regulations contain detailed architectural requirements called the ADA Standards for Accessible Design (Standards), 28 C.F.R. pt. 36, Appendix A. Each question in the survey describes a requirement contained in the regulations

The Standards are designed to ensure accessibility for individuals with a wide variety of different disabilities, such as persons who are blind or have low vision, people who are deaf or hard of hearing, persons with limited use of hands or arms, individuals with mobility impairments who use canes, crutches, braces or walkers, persons who use wheelchairs, and people who have combinations of disabilities. Thus, the Standards include architectural requirements that address the different needs of persons with each of these types of disabilities. For example, the Standards include requirements for braille and raised letter signs and cane-detectable warnings of safety hazards for persons who are blind or have low vision. The Standards require lodging facilities to install visual fire alarms and to have rooms that are equipped for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing. The Standards require door hardware, heating and air conditioning controls, and faucet controls that do not require tight pinching, twisting, or grasping for persons with limited use of hands or arms. For persons who use mobility aids because they cannot walk or have problems walking or climbing stairs, the Standards require there to be ways of traveling throughout the facility that do not steps, stairs, or other abrupt level changes. And, the Standards require doors with 32 inches of clear passage width, ramps and curb cuts for persons who use wheelchairs, crutches, and other mobility aids.

Lodging facilities must comply with all of the requirements in the Standards that are applicable. And, because a difference of inches or, in some cases, a difference of a fraction of an inch can pose a serious safety hazard or result in the denial of access for persons with disabilities, full compliance with the Standards is essential.

This publication was designed to help owners, franchisors, managers, and operators of newly constructed lodging facilities understand the ADA requirements that apply to their facilities. This publication is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all of the ADA problems that can occur at a lodging facility. However, it is a list of common problems that the Justice Department has identified during on-site investigations and compliance reviews of lodging facilities.

In addition to increasing understanding of the ADA requirements that apply to lodging facilities, this survey can also be used by lodging facility owners, franchisors, managers, or operators to obtain written confirmation that a lodging facility complies with the ADA requirements from an architect and/or a building contractor.