Next up… Jeff Swanson What’s New in ADA Compliance

2 Thursday, April 19, 2012 Annual Meeting What’s New in ADA Compliance Is your hotel ready? Today we’re going to review: 1. Reasonable accommodation 2. Virginia Graeme Baker anti-entrapment device 3. Pool and spa lifts 4. Guestroom assistance equipment 5. ADA training for GSAs and night auditors 6. Reservation sites 7. Service animals

3 Thursday, April 19, 2012 Annual Meeting What is “reasonable accommodation”? “Reasonable accommodation is any modification or adjustment to a job or the work environment that will enable a qualified applicant or employee with a disability to participate in the application process or to perform essential job functions. Reasonable accommodation also includes adjustments to assure that a qualified individual with a disability has rights and privileges in employment equal to those of employees without disabilities.” What’s New in ADA Compliance

4 Thursday, April 19, 2012 Annual Meeting Virginia Graeme Baker Anti-entrapment Devices VGB pool anti-entrapment devises is not an ADA issue, but is an important safety and legal-compliance issue. All U.S. hotel swimming pools, wading pools and whirlpools s must be incompliance by. If your hotel does not have written proof verifying the existence of anti-entrapment devices, then the pool and/or spa must be immediately closed. MMI needs to have written certification from an authorized professional confirming the installation of a compliant anti-entrapment device. What’s New in ADA Compliance

5 Thursday, April 19, 2012 Annual Meeting ADA Compliant Pool and Spa Lifts ADA-compliant pool and spa lifts were required to be in place by March 15, The compliance date has been extended 60 days.  An ADA compliant lift is required for all “public waters”.  Lifts must be permanently attached.  MMI has a list of vendors that provide these lifts.  We recommend that lifts are installed by a certified contractor.  There must be a lift for each pool or whirlpool. What’s New in ADA Compliance

6 Thursday, April 19, 2012 Annual Meeting ADA Compliant Pool and Spa Lifts Provide MMI a photograph showing the ADA compliant lift installed. Establish and enforce daily inspection, cleaning and maintenance procedures for pool lifts. What’s New in ADA Compliance

7 Thursday, April 19, 2012 Annual Meeting The following is required for each “accessible” guestroom.  TTY (text telephone)  door knock sensor - beacon with led light  telephone handset amplifier  telephone signaler  alarm clock  visual/audio smoke detector  assistive listening devices available sign Kits in durable hard carrying case are available. Guestroom Equipment Required by ADA What’s New in ADA Compliance

8 Thursday, April 19, 2012 Annual Meeting Accessible Room Types Accessible Rooms need to be classified as one of three types:  mobility accessible,  hearing accessible, or  mobility and hearing accessible For mobility accessible rooms, the type of bathing fixture should be identified, such as roll-in shower, accessible tub or transfer shower. For hearing accessible rooms, features such as visual doorbell alert, visual alarm alert or visual telephone alert should be identified. What’s New in ADA Compliance

9 Thursday, April 19, 2012 Annual Meeting No. RoomsDevicesNo. RoomsDevices % of rooms What’s New in ADA Compliance Number of Rooms for Hearing-Impaired Guests

10 Thursday, April 19, 2012 Annual Meeting No. RoomsAccessibleWith Roll-in Showers per % of rooms1 per 100 What’s New in ADA Compliance Required Number of Accessible Rooms

11 Thursday, April 19, 2012 Annual Meeting The new ADA rule establishes requirements for reservations made by places of lodging:  There must be procedures that allow individuals with disabilities to make reservations for accessible guest rooms during the same hours and in the same manner as other guests.  Places of lodging must identify and describe accessible features of guest rooms. What’s New in ADA Compliance Hotel Reservation Sites

12 Thursday, April 19, 2012 Annual Meeting  Places of lodging must hold back the accessible guest rooms for people with disabilities until all other guest rooms of that type have been rented, and to ensure that a reserved accessible guest room is removed from all reservations systems so that it is not inadvertently released to someone other than the person who reserved the accessible room. (This rule limits the obligations of third-party reservation operators that do not themselves own and operate places of lodging.) The deadline for compliance was March 15, What’s New in ADA Compliance Hotel Reservation Sites

13 Thursday, April 19, 2012 Annual Meeting  Hotels must modify their policies, practices and procedures to assure that people with disabilities can make reservations for accessible guest rooms during the same hours and in the same manner as individuals who do not need accessible rooms.  Hotel employees must be able to identify and describe accessible features of the place of lodging and guest rooms offered through its reservations system in enough detail to reasonably permit people with disabilities to assess independently whether a given place of lodging or guest room meets his or her accessibility needs. What’s New in ADA Compliance Hotel Reservation Training

14 Thursday, April 19, 2012 Annual Meeting  Assure that accessible guest rooms are held for people with disabilities until all other guest rooms of that type have been rented and the accessible room requested is the only remaining room of that type.  Reserve, upon request, accessible guest rooms or specific types and assure that the guest rooms requested are blocked and removed from all reservations systems. What’s New in ADA Compliance Hotel Reservation Training

15 Thursday, April 19, 2012 Annual Meeting  Guarantee that the specific accessible guest room reserved through its reservations system is held for the reserving guest, regardless of whether a specific room is held in response to reservations made by others. These regulations require additional training and ongoing supervision of guest service agents, night auditors and all others who take reservations or assign guest rooms. What’s New in ADA Compliance Hotel Reservation Training

16 Thursday, April 19, 2012 Annual Meeting ADA defines a “service animal” as a dog that has been individually trained to do work or perform tasks for the benefit of an individual with a disability. The rule states that other animals, whether wild or domestic, do not qualify as service animals. You many not decline access to a service animal for any area that other guests may use, including pool decks. You may not request proof that an animal is a service animal or that the guest is disabled. You may not charge a deposit or fee for service animals. What’s New in ADA Compliance Service Animals Video