An interesting blog on the Disability.gov blog site written by Marian Vessels about accessibility. She makes several valid points about how even though the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has significantly helped, the US still has a ways to go.

Hospitality, Accessibility and the ADA

By Marian Vessel, Mid-Atlantic ADA Center

Eating out. We Americans love to eat out! We enjoy having someone else cook for us, exploring different cuisines, sharing a congenial meal with family and friends or enjoying the ease of a quick meal. It seems that even the smallest of towns has a caf, coffee shop or restaurant where folks go to eat, but often more importantly, socialize.

Travel. Americans also are known to travel for work, pleasure or family events. We enjoy seeing new sights, experiencing adventures, traveling for business or to celebrate, mourn or connect with family and friends. These activities often require one or more nights in a rented room. Staying in a hotel, motel or other lodging is a staple for many of those who travel.

Over the last quarter century, diners and travelers with disabilities have benefited from substantial improvements in their ability to enjoy these venues since theAmericans with Disabilities Act(ADA) became law and continues to be woven into the fabric of American life.

We are now eagerly anticipating the 25th anniversary of the signing of the ADA. This is a monumental step for the civil rights of those with disabilities. President George H.W. Bush stated at the signing of the ADA on July 26, 1990, Let the shameful walls of exclusion finally come tumbling down. Unfortunately, we are still a long way from full inclusion in the hospitality industry. Many owners, operators and staff are still not aware of the broad requirements of the ADA and their application. Simple features such as accessible parking, a clear path of travel from parking areas or the street to entryways, accessible entrances, accessible lower front counters and clear routes through main areas of properties are often not provided or maintained. Concerns by front-line staff about how to interact with a person with a disability are as prevalent now as they were twenty-four years ago.

I love to eat out and enjoy travel for pleasure, work and for family events. I am also a diner, a traveler and a family member who has used a wheelchair for the last 40 years. I have seen significant changes since the signing of the ADA. I sometimes forget to call ahead to ensure that an unknown restaurant will accommodate me independently. I presume that my hotel room is truly accessible and will accommodate my needs. I assume that I will be treated with dignity and respect by hotel and restaurant staff. Unfortunately, that is not always the case. Waiters still address my dining companions, asking for my dinner selection (instead of asking me directly) and many hotel rooms still do not allow me to move around, change the temperature or open the drapes independently.

There remains a great need in the industry to be more knowledgeable about the provisions of the ADA and provide inclusive customer service for their patrons with disabilities. TheADA National Network(ADANN) recognized this need and developedADAhospitality.org, a website dedicated to providing the hospitality industry with information, resources and training on the application of the ADA.ADAhospitality.orghas free downloadable staff ADA training materials, facts sheets and a myriad of other resources. ADANN, a network of 10 regional centers, can also provide customized, confidential information on the application of the ADA via a toll free phone line: 800-949-4ADA (4232).

The demands of a growing disability community (over 54 million in 2012) and an aging affluent baby boomer population (an estimated 84 million persons 55 years and older in 2010) requires the industry to be ready and willing to meet their needs. Find out how the ADA applies to your business, to you as person with a disability, or as a concerned individual. Review resources, tax credits and deductions and other materials to become more knowledgeable. YOU can make a difference in ensuring that all who dine or use lodging facilities are included. When restaurants and hotels welcome guests with disabilities, they are welcoming not only those individuals, but their families, friends and colleagues who dine and travel with them. Implementing the provisions of the ADA is a great business decision for all!

Marian Vessels is the Director of theMid-Atlantic ADA Center, a project of TransCen Inc. Serving in this role since 1996, she has been the liaison with entities and disability coalitions in the six-state Mid-Atlantic region (D.C., Del., Md., Penn., Va. and W.V.). The Center is one of 10 regional centers comprising the ADA National Network, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Education, providing information, guidance and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Among her primary areas of expertise are training and guidance on the ADA as it relates to employment, state and local government and hospitality.

Source:http://usodep.blogs.govdelivery.com/2014/10/23/hospitality-accessibility-and-the-ada/