Without the accessibility provided by ramps, those who use wheelchairs -- as well as some who use walkers or canes to aid in their mobility-- would often be unable to stay in a hotel, dine out, go shopping or conduct their business. If all hotels consisted of just one floor of rooms and all were constructed on perfectly flat ground, ramps for the disabled would not be as large a concern...but very few hotels fit those constraints.
The ADA specifies the width, length and other dimensions of disabled ramps. Ramps must be at least 36 inches wide, allowing room for wheelchairs. Handrails that are no more than 28 inches high are required on each side of a wheelchair ramp that rises more than six inches. (If the ramp is on a curb area, handrails are not required.) Safety curbs on the edges of ramps must be at least two inches high.
Hotels are required to have disabled ramps in areas where persons in wheelchairs would not be otherwise able to gain access. Inside the hotel property, ADA regulations also mandate that guest rooms and other public areas also be accessible. Hotels are required to have a minimum number of handicap-accessible rooms; the more rooms the property has, the more accessible rooms must be provided. Corridors, elevators and similar areas must be wide enough for wheelchairs.
Many hotels, especially those constructed in recent years, are completely accessible for people in wheelchairs. In some hotels, ground-floor rooms have doors that open directly to parking areas for easy transfers from vehicle to room. Hotels also may provide wheelchair access to pool areas, fitness centers and other guest amenities. Wheelchair-accessible hotel rooms normally have modifications, including the height of beds, desks and dressers, and bathrooms that include wheelchair shower access, grab bars, reachable faucets and water controls, and accessible mirrors and sinks.
