ADA For Lodging: Best Practices and Standards

Bed Height Fact Sheet

Although bed height limitations and regulations are not specified in the 2010 Standards, providing a place to sleep is the primary purpose of a lodging facility. Therefore the bed should be just as accessible all other amenities and features.

The guiding tenant of the ADA is “accessible and usable.”

Hotels need to adopt the recommended bed height range so individuals can safely transfer to and from the bed. When beds are well below or above the recommended 17-23 inch range (reaching heights up to 30 inches) it is extremely difficult or impossible to transfer from the typical wheelchair seat height. The hotel industry strives for customer satisfaction and an exemplary guest experience. By adopting this standard the hospitality industry collectively tackles this issue to the good of all customers.

Numerous lodging facilities comply with the ADA in all aspects of usability- except the bed! An individual can arrive at a lodging facility where parking, check-in, restrooms, elevators, recreational centers, the path of travel to the room, and room amenities are all accessible-except the bed. It defies logic and is contrary to the “usability” phrase of the ADA.

Parking

Entrance

Check-In

Pool Lift

Elevator

Guest Room

Bathroom

But No Accessible Bed

All beds (including the railings, box spring, and mattress) within a mobility accessible (ADA) room should be no higher than 23” and no lower than 17” above the floor surface. This range is compliant with the proposed International Building Code-American National Standards Institute (IBC-ANSI) recommendation.

This range can be met by using a combination of bed frame, box spring, and mattress; and is usable for the majority of guests with mobility limitations and the general public. Individuals can safely transfer to and from a bed in accessible guest rooms within this range.

To Comply with Best Practice Standards:

• ​Require beds in the accessible guest rooms to measure between 17-23 inches high from the floor to the top of an uncompressed mattress.

  • i.e., There are popular 12” mattresses- combined with 5.5” adjustable frame and a 4” low profile box spring that will make a total height of 21.5”, which is within the 17-23” range.

• ​Memory foam and form fitting mattresses are the least friendly. These mattresses are designed for the user to “sink” into them, which makes it difficult for an individual to easily move or turn. We recommend mattresses that offer the support an individual needs to both transfer and sleep comfortably throughout the night- not too plush and not too firm.

• Simply removing the bed frame to reach the recommended height is not an acceptable solution. Bed frames serve as an essential part of a bed and without it a lack of stability occurs making it less comfortable and possibly less safe for the user.

• Adjustable bed frames can easily adjust to provide appropriate clearance for lifts or be set in the low position recommended for safe transfers. While adjustable bed frames are not yet common, they are a great tool for meeting these different needs.

• Information about bed heights should be readily available on a property’s website, with the reservation department, and at the front desk.