Is Your Local Hotel Breaking the Law for Blind Customers?
Hotels and motels in South Florida are considered places of public accommodation that must comply with accessibility requirements set forth in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This means that hotels and motels must be accessible for customers who are blind or have low vision. Is your local hotel violating the ADA in terms of its obligations to blind customers? Consider the following key information about hotel and motel ADA obligations for customers with blindness or low vision from our South Florida ADA lawyers.
Which Lodging Establishments Must Comply with the ADA?
In general, a lodging establishment is covered by the ADA, and must comply with the ADA’s accessibility requirements, “if it is a private entity and is a place of lodging (including inns, hotels, and motels), regardless of whether it is a for-profit or non-profit establishment.” Places of lodging that are owner-occupied and rent out five or fewer rooms at a time are not covered by the ADA.
ADA Obligations at Places of Lodging for Blind or Low Vision Customers
When a place of lodging is covered by the ADA, what are its obligations for making the place accessible to guests with blindness or low vision? The US Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division highlights the following:
- Ensuring that the facility is physically accessible when it is constructed or renovated;
- Removing architectural barriers that could prevent a guest from reaching areas of the hotel or sustaining injuries in the hotel or on the exterior grounds;
- Removing structural communication barriers;
- Making policy modifications, including allowing service dogs even in no-pet hotels;
- Allowing guests to check in with an alternate form of ID beyond a driver’s license; and
- Providing auxiliary aids and services, including ensuring that certain signs have raised characters and Braille.
Common ADA Violations in Hotels, Motels, and Inns
Common ADA violations in hotels, motels, and inns include but are not limited to:
- Prohibiting all animals, including service animals;
- Failing to have tactile signs in certain areas, including elevators and areas of egress;
- Requiring a driver’s license for check-in;
- Using only touch screens for check-in without any alternative;
- Having a website that is not accessible or readable to screen readers.
Contact a Palm Beach Gardens ADA Violation Lawyers for Help Today
Were you denied service or unable to enjoy equal access to facilities at a hotel or motel in South Florida? That hotel or motel may be in violation of the ADA. It is important to seek legal advice, and if relevant, to learn more about filing a complaint under the ADA. Hotels, motels, and other businesses that provide public lodging are required to comply with the ADA for customers who are blind and have low vision, as well as customers with other disabilities covered by the ADA. If a business fails to comply with the ADA, even if they do not intend to violate this important federal law, it is important to take action. Contact one of the experienced Palm Beach Gardens ADA violation attorneys at Sconzo Law Office today to find out more about your options for filing a complaint.
Source:
ada.gov/resources/lodging-guide/