www.HotelInteractive.comADA Regulations Update – Recreational FacilitiesOne of the most impactful standards from the 2010 ADA regulations will concern pools and exercise facilities. Here’s what you need to know.Hotelinteractive.com provides hotel news and lodging industry management tools for hospitality professionals and information about BITAC Hospitality Events. |
Wednesday, January 04, 2012
| Dan Marcec |
CLICK HERE TO FIND YOUR ADA COMPLIANT POOL LIFTS AT EZ ABLE®
As we outlined a few weeks ago, the impeding deadline of March 15, 2012 to comply with the 2010 Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) regulations
will have a significant impact on hotel investments and operations.
While many of the standards in place are either updates or revisions
from the original 1990 guidelines, one of the key differences this time
is that there haven’t been recreational standards published before.
Therefore, your hotel couldn’t have been compliant in the past with the
2010 standards for those items, and that’s why it’s the issue that’s
going to affect hotels and resorts the most immediately, because you
have to do something before March 15 if you haven’t already.
Here’s a list of the newly covered elements that will be affected at hotels and resorts:
- Swimming pools, wading pools, and spas
- Saunas and steam rooms
- Exercise machines and equipment
- Play areas
- Fishing piers and platforms
- Recreational boating facilities
- Golf facilities
- Amusement rides
- Mini golf facilities
- Shooting facilities
- Team or player seating
- Accessible route to bowling lanes
- Accessible route to court sports facilities
In a webinar
hosted by AH&LA, Minh N. Vu, partner in the Labor and Employment
Department, Seyfarth Shaw LLP, overviewed some of the logistics behind
the new standards to get into the specifics of some of the most common
elements that will affect hotels, particularly the first three on this
list – pools, spas and exercise rooms.
In addition to the fact that recreational standards have been outlined
for the first time, which means there are no safe harbors or grandfather
clauses, the 2010 set of standards also introduced another first. The
Department of Justice (DOJ) now has put a number on how much properties
can be fined for violations, to the tune of $55,000 for the first fine
and $110,000 for any subsequent fines.
While the deadlines and regulations seem pretty straightforward, don’t
be surprised if commercial property owners try to call the government’s
bluff. While you never know what kind of extensions you might be able to
get, you have to ask yourself if it’s worth the risk. If it ends up
your deadlines will not be extended, you can expect it to be more
expensive and more difficult it becomes to place an order, on top of the
potential fines levied by the DOJ.
Pools & Spas
The basis for swimming pool and spa guidelines are all centered upon
access, and the new standards dictate either purchasing a pool lift or
renovating it completely:
- Each swimming pool with less than 300 feet of wall requires or sloped entry.
- Each swimming pool with 300 feet or more of wall requires two
accessible means of entry, one of which must be a pool lift or sloped
entry. - Each wave action, leisure river, sand bottom, or other type of pool
where entry is limited to one area requires one accessible means of
entry.
Most hotels likely will opt for the pool lift, since
it’s a purchasable item that doesn’t put the pool out of service for any
length of time. However, the pool lift also has several specific
requirements it needs to meet, which are detailed below with reference
to sections in the ADA regulations where you can find more information:
- Seat height and width (Sections 1009.2.4 and 1009.2.5)
- Footrest (Section 1009.2.6)
- Armrest (Section 1009.2.6)
- Independently operable by user (Section 1009.2.7)
- Controls and operating mechanisms (Section 1009.2.7)
- Submerged depth (Section 1009.2.8)
- Lifting capacity (Section 1009.2.9)
- Various other space requirements relating to location of installation (Sections 1009.2.1 through 1009.2.3)
CLICK HERE TO FIND YOUR ADA COMPLIANT POOL LIFT AT EZ ABLE®
“If
you decide to install a pool lift, which is the most flexible option,
you have to be sure to evaluate all these options,” says Vu. “Don’t just
order it before seeing it in person. The literature provided by pool
lifts doesn’t always address all these aspects.”
For spas (in this case, whirlpools) and wading pools, the standards are
similar. If a property has one spa, obviously it must be accessible, and
if there is more than one, 5 percent of the total must be accessible.
Furthermore, at a resort property for example, if there is more than one
cluster of whirlpools, 5 percent of each cluster must be accessible.
Accessibility for a spa is defined by a lift, a transfer wall or a
transfer system.
“In new construction, a transfer wall is probably the most practical
option, but existing properties will find that challenging,” says Vu.
“Lifts seem the most likely installation for retrofits.”
Each wading pool must provide at least one sloped entry into the deepest
area. However, Vu says this may not be “readily achievable” based on
the traditional size of a small wading pool compared to the proportions
the standards require. (see our previous piece on ADA regulations,
linked above, for more details on what is “readily achievable.”)
While the guidelines are clearly laid out, the new requirements have
left unanswered questions. For example, AH&LA submitted a letter to
request clarification on whether you can have a portable pool lift and
whether it has to be all the time or only brought out on request. While
there is no requirements saying a lift has to be screwed down to the
deck, and a good one will function just like one that’s stationary, the
question remains how quickly a portable unit would have to be provided
if requested.
“If a person has to wait what could be conceived as an unreasonable
amount of time to gain access to a good or service by a public
accommodation disproportionate to a regular wait, it’s disparate
treatment,” says Vu. “Therefore, I think every hotel has to ask itself
if the operation is capable of responding to a request to bring a pool
lift in a ‘timely’ way? If the answer is no, it’s probably not practical
to have a portable lift.”
Also, the regulations actually say that there must be one lift for each
body of water. That means if your hot tub and pool are separate, you’re
on the hook for two lifts, and perhaps two fines if both are not
accessible.
Exercise Rooms
Fortunately, unlike the pool access standards, exercise rooms for most
properties likely won’t cost much – or anything – other than some time
and effort to rearrange what you have and perhaps the inconvenience of
losing a piece or two.
The new rules dictate that at least one of each type of exercise
equipment must provide a 30” x 48” clear floor space positioned for
transfer by someone using a wheelchair, in addition to being on a 36”
wide accessible route.
“Originally, we were concerned with space requirements, because
positioning them as proposed means you couldn’t put ellipticals and
treadmills close to save space, as is traditional in small hotel
exercise rooms,” says Vu. “However, the DOJ came back with helpful
clarification that said for machines on which you have to stand up, you
can put the clear floor space in the pathway route, which will allow
people to keep most of their equipment.”
All these issues considered, it’s important to plan for the inevitable, a
compliance date of March 15, 2012 for the new ADA standards. While
there certainly are legitimate reasons why some hotels could receive
leeway, in general these regulations will be enforced and you need to be
ready. Hotel Interactive will continue to detail this information for
you and include responses to your questions, so stay tuned to our
coverage in the coming months.
Stay tuned for our next feature in the
series on the 2010 ADA standards, where we discuss our furry friend
Fido and the new regulations surrounding service animals.
Credit
| Dan Marcec Managing EditorHotel Interactive, Inc. |
Related articles
- ADA-Compliant by March 2012 (idnhhoffman.wordpress.com)