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.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/01\/13680684_1247703001909091_1362557783621153468_n-225x300.jpg?resize=182%2C243\")
In the United States, I shouldn’t have to do this. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is supposed to provide legal guidelines and requirements that hotels have to follow in order to ensure guests with disabilities are comfortable. The ADA specifies measurements\u00a0for doorway widths and toilet and sink heights. It says how many accessible rooms and parking spots a hotel should have. It also helps ensure that all hotel public areas, to include swimming pools, are accessible.<\/p>\n
So why do I say a little prayer before I enter every hotel room I have reserved, hoping their definition of “accessible” is the same as mine? Because the vast majority of hotel managers, architects, and interior designers have never rolled a mile in our shoes.<\/p>\n
Sometimes the beds are way too high for me to transfer into. Sometimes there’s no space beneath them to slide a lift underneath. Most roll-in showers double as the set of\u00a0The Poseidon Adventure<\/em> with a lot of water clean-up necessary after each use. It’s not common to f Whenever I come across these situations, I ask the hotel manager (or engineer) to visit my room so I can point out changes that can be made. Many times the manager is powerless to do anything because authorization for major structural changes have to be made at a headquarters level. However, they can do things like lower beds or remove box springs, move or remove furniture, change the placement of soap dishes, or add moveable vanity mirro This isn’t a silver-bullet solution to all ADA accessibility problems at hotels. However, it’s a great way to spread awareness and education among hotel chain management, and possibly prevent repeatedly having to hear the routine response of,\u00a0Oh, I didn’t think of that<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 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 … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":259,"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":[29],"tags":[89,90,97,128,109],"yst_prominent_words":[],"class_list":["post-287","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel-tips","tag-accessibility","tag-ada","tag-hotels","tag-wheelchair-friendly","tag-wheelchair-travel","latest_post"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_4179.jpg?fit=3264%2C2448&ssl=1","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p8IhCJ-4D","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1179,"url":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/2018\/01\/30\/hotel-franchising-wheelchair-users\/","url_meta":{"origin":287,"position":0},"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":2851,"url":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/2019\/05\/27\/why-wheelchair-users-should-avoid-booking-accessible-travel-through-third-party-websites\/","url_meta":{"origin":287,"position":1},"title":"Why Wheelchair Users Should Avoid Booking Accessible Travel Through Third Party Websites","author":"Sylvia Longmire","date":"May 27, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Who doesn't want a good deal? Especially if you are a frequent traveler like I am, finding a big bargain when it comes to flights or hotels can feel like hitting the jackpot. However, many wheelchair travelers don't realize the real price to be paid when we book through what's\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\/05\/BEAC8712-8D42-4897-AC67-50073DDACAC9.jpg?fit=1200%2C822&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/BEAC8712-8D42-4897-AC67-50073DDACAC9.jpg?fit=1200%2C822&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/BEAC8712-8D42-4897-AC67-50073DDACAC9.jpg?fit=1200%2C822&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/BEAC8712-8D42-4897-AC67-50073DDACAC9.jpg?fit=1200%2C822&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/05\/BEAC8712-8D42-4897-AC67-50073DDACAC9.jpg?fit=1200%2C822&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1413,"url":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/2018\/05\/05\/beds-wheelchair-accessible-hotel-rooms\/","url_meta":{"origin":287,"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":287,"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":1755,"url":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/2018\/06\/26\/environment-and-accessible-travel\/","url_meta":{"origin":287,"position":4},"title":"Soap, Straws, and Sand: Where the Environment and Accessible Travel Collide","author":"Sylvia Longmire","date":"June 26, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"You know those tiny bottles of free shampoo, conditioner, and body lotion you love to take home with you as a souvenir from your hotel stay? If you plan on staying at one of five major Marriott International chains or an InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) property in the future, you\u2019ll\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Travelogue"","block_context":{"text":"Travelogue","link":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/category\/travelogue\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_4122.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_4122.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_4122.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_4122.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_4122.jpg?fit=1200%2C1200&ssl=1&resize=1050%2C600 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3017,"url":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/2019\/07\/13\/5-biggest-wheelchair-accessible-bathroom-fails\/","url_meta":{"origin":287,"position":5},"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":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287","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=287"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/287\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/259"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=287"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=287"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=287"},{"taxonomy":"yst_prominent_words","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/yst_prominent_words?post=287"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/11\/IMG_2067-300x172.jpg?resize=300%2C172\")
ind shower faucets, shower heads, and soap dishes that are all reachable from a seated position on the fold-down bench. I’ve been blocked from reaching curtain pulls by extremely heavy and poorly placed furniture. Finding conveniently placed electric outlets where I can charge my power wheelchair can be very difficult. Putting on makeup is anything but fun since I can only see myself in the bathroom mirror from the edge of the counter, and often only from the chin up.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/spintheglobe.net\/dir\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/12\/IMG_4205-300x225.jpg?resize=263%2C197\")
rs.I personally believe the best way for hotel managers to more clearly understand the challenges faced by guests with physical disabilities is to become disabled for a day. I would love to see hotel managers rent a wheelchair for 24 hours and stay as a guest in an accessible room in their own hotels. *They should imitate as best as possible the complete loss\u00a0of the use of their legs and attempt to bathe, sleep, and otherwise maneuver in their hotel room and around the hotel property. The may start to notice that soap or paper towel dispensers in the lobby bathrooms are too high. Or that they can’t reach certain food items in the breakfast buffet. Or that (if male) they have difficulty shaving because they can’t see their faces properly in the bathroom mirror.<\/p>\n