Great shower at the Great Wolf Lodge in Concord, NC.<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\nThe ultimate root of the problem is that not enough hotel chains have disabled consultants who actually work with the room designers when a new hotel is being planned. I believe every hotel\u00a0chain has ADA compliance officer, but as you’ve seen here, the ADA doesn’t cover practical issues like mattresses, soap dishes, and shower faucets. I call on executive management of every major hotel chain, if they haven’t done so already, to bring in a consultant who lives in a wheelchair full-time to go through room plans and designs for new construction, as well as existing accessible hotel rooms, to advise them on the practicality of their design decisions for accessible rooms. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the meantime, what can we do? First, I believe in educating rather than confronting. Contact the hotel manager if you believe there are any ADA violations with your roll-in shower. Point them out to the manager and see if it\u2019s something that can be easily remedied. If not, point out that they are likely violating the ADA and may be liable for a lawsuit in the future if they don\u2019t take a proactive step of making the repairs. The hotel should offer to move you to a hotel room that does have an ADA compliant roll-in shower, and if not, they should offer to move you to another property in the same area \u2014 when available \u2014 that does have a compliant bathroom where you can bathe safely. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
If none of these routes work, and this is a hotel where you stay somewhat frequently, then filing an ADA lawsuit and may be your only remedy. This is the only enforcement action for ADA violations, unfortunately. Not everyone is comfortable with doing that, but sometimes it\u2019s the only way we can see positive change when it comes to ADA compliant construction. Maybe then we can simply take a shower just like everybody else.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Over the past three years, I’ve spent over 300 nights in [supposedly] wheelchair accessible hotel rooms. I can’t use a bathtub, so I always require a room that has a roll-in shower. Specifically, I need … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2844,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[10,2,29,3],"tags":[89,90,93,92,91],"yst_prominent_words":[508,502,730,4767,4764,1865,562,214,504,439,503,4779,512,879,506,4765,336,4766,507,1888],"class_list":["post-207","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hotel","category-north-america","category-travel-tips","category-united-states","tag-accessibility","tag-ada","tag-hotel-rooms","tag-roll-in-shower","tag-travel-tips","latest_post"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/IMG_1110.jpg?fit=8560%2C3812&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8IhCJ-3l","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":3017,"url":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/2019\/07\/13\/5-biggest-wheelchair-accessible-bathroom-fails\/","url_meta":{"origin":207,"position":0},"title":"5 Biggest Wheelchair Accessible Bathroom Fails","author":"Sylvia Longmire","date":"July 13, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"As a wheelchair user and frequent traveler who spends over 130 nights each year in (supposedly) accessible hotel rooms, I've seen it all. Each time I roll through the door of a new hotel room, I always have to steel myself in preparation for what I'm going to get. I'm\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Travel Tips"","block_context":{"text":"Travel Tips","link":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/category\/travel-tips\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_0421.jpg?fit=1200%2C867&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_0421.jpg?fit=1200%2C867&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_0421.jpg?fit=1200%2C867&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_0421.jpg?fit=1200%2C867&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/IMG_0421.jpg?fit=1200%2C867&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1179,"url":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/2018\/01\/30\/hotel-franchising-wheelchair-users\/","url_meta":{"origin":207,"position":1},"title":"Hotel Franchising is Creating More Obstacles for Wheelchair Users","author":"Sylvia Longmire","date":"January 30, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I stay in a lot of hotel rooms. To be more specific, I spent 129 nights in [supposedly] wheelchair accessible hotel rooms in 2017. After each and every check-in, I roll in my electric scooter to my door, pause, take a deep breath\u2026and hope for the best. This is because\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hotel"","block_context":{"text":"Hotel","link":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/category\/reviews\/hotel\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Hotel-Franchising-is-Creating-More-Obstacles-for-Wheelchair-Users.png?fit=735%2C1102&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Hotel-Franchising-is-Creating-More-Obstacles-for-Wheelchair-Users.png?fit=735%2C1102&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Hotel-Franchising-is-Creating-More-Obstacles-for-Wheelchair-Users.png?fit=735%2C1102&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Hotel-Franchising-is-Creating-More-Obstacles-for-Wheelchair-Users.png?fit=735%2C1102&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1413,"url":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/2018\/05\/05\/beds-wheelchair-accessible-hotel-rooms\/","url_meta":{"origin":207,"position":2},"title":"The Debate Over Beds in Wheelchair Accessible Hotel Rooms","author":"Sylvia Longmire","date":"May 5, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"A good night's sleep. That's all a traveler really wants when he or she arrives at a hotel room after a long day of travel. Some people are more picky than others about the mattress type or pillows, but most just want to sleep. For travelers who use wheelchairs, however,\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Hotel"","block_context":{"text":"Hotel","link":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/category\/reviews\/hotel\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"the debate over beds in wheelchair accessible hotel rooms","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/the-debate-over-beds-in-wheelchair-accessible-hotel-rooms.png?fit=735%2C1102&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/the-debate-over-beds-in-wheelchair-accessible-hotel-rooms.png?fit=735%2C1102&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/the-debate-over-beds-in-wheelchair-accessible-hotel-rooms.png?fit=735%2C1102&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/the-debate-over-beds-in-wheelchair-accessible-hotel-rooms.png?fit=735%2C1102&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1686,"url":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/2018\/06\/21\/wheelchair-users-independent-travel\/","url_meta":{"origin":207,"position":3},"title":"Dear Hotels: Stop Assuming All Wheelchair Users Travel with (or Want) Help","author":"Sylvia Longmire","date":"June 21, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"I see it every single time I stay in a hotel room--evidence that hotels assume I'm not alone. I guess it's rare to see a solo traveler in a wheelchair, but as I spend more time roaming the world and meeting more wheelchair users, I think we're not as rare\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Travelogue"","block_context":{"text":"Travelogue","link":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/category\/travelogue\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"This bed is way too high, but that's not an ADA violation.","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/IMG_4946.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/IMG_4946.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/IMG_4946.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/IMG_4946.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/IMG_4946.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":287,"url":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/2017\/01\/02\/why-hotel-managers-should-be-disabled-for-a-day\/","url_meta":{"origin":207,"position":4},"title":"Why Hotel Managers Should Be Disabled* for a Day","author":"Sylvia Longmire","date":"January 2, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Every time I travel, I take a quick moment right before I open my hotel room door to breathe, look up at the sky, and hope for the best. In the United States, I shouldn't have to do this. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is supposed to provide legal\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Travel Tips"","block_context":{"text":"Travel Tips","link":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/category\/travel-tips\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_4179.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_4179.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_4179.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_4179.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_4179.jpg?fit=1200%2C900&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1614,"url":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/2018\/05\/24\/accessible-all-inclusive-resorts-mexico\/","url_meta":{"origin":207,"position":5},"title":"Wheelchair Accessible All-Inclusive Resorts in Cancun and Playa del Carmen, Mexico","author":"Sylvia Longmire","date":"May 24, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"White sand beaches, turquoise waters, mouth-watering food, and glorious sunshine. These are all hallmarks of Mexico's famed Riviera Maya and the nearby resort city of Cancun on the Yucat\u00e1n Peninsula. Unfortunately, one term that isn't often associated with these locations is wheelchair accessibility. While Mexico has no laws comparable to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Caribbean"","block_context":{"text":"Caribbean","link":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/category\/caribbean\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/B7551D02-983B-4DE6-B11C-A23D9DF7ACEA.jpeg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/B7551D02-983B-4DE6-B11C-A23D9DF7ACEA.jpeg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/B7551D02-983B-4DE6-B11C-A23D9DF7ACEA.jpeg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/B7551D02-983B-4DE6-B11C-A23D9DF7ACEA.jpeg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/B7551D02-983B-4DE6-B11C-A23D9DF7ACEA.jpeg?fit=1200%2C675&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=207"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2844"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=207"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=207"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=207"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=207"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
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