TravelAbility Announces Results of "Inches Matter," A survey of Bed Heights in 24 Hotel ADA Rooms

Inches Matter when you're in a wheelchair trying to transfer to a bed

SAUSALITO, CALIFORNIA, USA, July 24, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- For individuals who depend on wheelchairs to get where they’re going, traveling can often feel like a gamble due to the lack of standardized information on hotel accessibility. While their homes are tailored to their needs, and they are familiar with accessible local businesses, the same cannot be said for the hotels they may visit. Images of hotel amenities are plentiful, yet details on ADA-compliant rooms are often scarce, leaving wheelchair users without the necessary information they so critically need to plan their travels.

The Challenge: The ADA, which was passed in 1990, took over a year to write after back-and-forth from advocates, architects, business leaders, disability groups, and lawyers. The result was an act written for the median, as opposed to the people it was intended to help the most. And with no clear ADA for information, wheelchair users don’t know if the accommodations they need are actually in place until they arrive.

The Pilot Program: In collaboration with four members of TravelAbility’s Destination A11Y Club, TravelAbility developed a pilot program to collect essential data on the accessibility of hotel sleeping rooms and bathrooms. Below you'll find the results just for bed and toilet seat height. Inches matter to a person in a wheelchair- as you can see the variance in bed height can be up to 12” and the variance in toilet seat height can be up to 2”- relatively small distances but for a wheelchair user the difference can be huge depending upon the severity of their disability and the type of wheelchair or mobility device they use.

The Results: The bed height variance for the three destinations (#Hotels reporting) were as follows:
Bed Height Variance:
Tampa Bay, FL (7): 12 inches
Lexington, KY (7): 5 inches
Alexandria, VA (8): 4 inches

Toilet Seat Variance:
Tampa: 1 inch
Lexington: 1.5 inches
Alexandria: 2 inches

The following are three wheelchair users who are prominent members of the disability community. If there were accessibility pages on the websites of each of the hotels,
Cory Lee, founder of Curb Free with Cory Lee, perhaps the most prominent disability travel content creator uses a power wheelchair, will need ample space under the bed for a Hoyer lift to transfer from his wheelchair to the bed.

Kristy Durso, 2023 Miss Wheelchair Texas and owner of Incredible Memories Travel, who trains travel advisors about accessibility, uses a manual chair,

Chelsea Bear, a content creator with nearly 800k followers who has cerebral palsy and uses a scooter and can walk short distances but may have difficulty transitioning from sitting to standing and would benefit from a lower toilet seat.

This information will be made available on the dedicated accessibility page on each DMO’s website, ensuring that wheelchair users—as well as locals hosting visitors with mobility issues—have access to the information they need to make informed travel decisions. Hotels should include an accessibility page on their website that also includes photos of accessible rooms as well as descriptions. Every image and data point sends a welcoming message to travelers with disabilities.

We’d like to thank the accessibility leaders of the four destinations for being part of this groundbreaking pilot program. Claire Mouledoux, Visit Alexandria (VA), Jason Holic, Experience Kissimmee (FL), Patrick Harrison, Visit Tampa Bay (FL), Arin Arnold, Visit Lex(KY).

Contact Information: Tricia Roth tricia@travelability.net

About TravelAbility: TravelAbility is committed to making travel more accessible for everyone. By providing crucial information and resources, TravelAbility empowers individuals with mobility challenges to explore the world with confidence.

For 29 low cost/no cost accessibility fixes for hotels, click here.

Jake Steinman
TravelAbility
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