reservation

The Hotel Gave Away Your Accessible Room? Practice Self-Advocacy

The Hotel Gave Away Your Accessible Room? Practice Self-Advocacy

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Have you ever arrived at a hotel, reservation in hand, only to discover that the hotel gave away your accessible room? Or worse yet, been told by a reservation agent that they cannot reserve a specific accessible room for you? It’s not only frustrating, but it’s also illegal in the US under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). But unfortunately it does happen. With that in mind, here’s what you need to know about the law, so you can be a more effective-self advocate.

Block That Room!

As of March 15, 2012, US hotels are required to block accessible guest rooms upon reservation. Blocking means that the property reserves a particular room for a particular guest on a particular date. It’s important to note that a block is not the same thing as a guarantee. A block takes a particular room out of inventory, while a guarantee only refers to the room rate. These regulations are contained in 28 CFR 36.302 (e) (1) in Title III of the ADA (ada.gov/law-and-regs/regulations/title-iii-regulations/#-36302-modifications-in-policies-practices-or-procedures).

Most properties have modern reservation systems that can identify the accessible rooms, and note their features — such as a roll-in shower — so it’s relatively easy to book a specific accessible room online. U.S. properties must also make sure that guests can reserve accessible rooms in the same manner that they can reserve non-accessible rooms. In other words, if you can reserve a non-accessible room on a particular website at midnight, you should also be able to reserve an accessible room in the same manner.

Unfortunately not all properties have their accessible room inventory online or have the ability to block accessible rooms. If you try to reserve a specific accessible room, and the reservation agent says they can’t guarantee that you will get that specific room, then ask to speak to the manager. Then explain your problem and remind the manager that the ADA requires properties to block accessible rooms upon reservation. This will usually get the desired results.

If, on the other hand, the manager doesn’t back down, it’s time to try another property. Frankly if management doesn’t care about access, then it’s highly unlikely that you will even get any type of an accessible room when you arrive. Find another hotel, and then follow through with an ADA Complaint on the first property.

File an ADA Complaint

So when should you file an ADA complaint? Well most definitely file one if a property ever tells you that they can’t block a specific accessible room for you. It’s easy to file an ADA complaint — the form is online at civilrights.justice.gov/report. Make sure and take notes when the event is fresh in your mind, and jot down the names of the people that you dealt with.

It’s also appropriate to file an ADA complaint if you can reserve a standard room on the property website, but are unable to reserve an accessible room there. It’s important to note that you won’t get any compensation as a result of these complaints; however the Depart of Justice may fine the property or require them to update their website or reservation system. In the long run, it will help make things more accessible.

Finally, if you arrive at a property only to find that the hotel gave away your accessible room, you should absolutely file an ADA complaint. The property is also required to find you a comparable room at another property at the same rate. The hotel must pay the difference if the rate at the other property is higher. That doesn’t let them off as far as the Department of Justice is concerned though — take notes and file that ADA complaint when you get home.

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amtrak

How to Book a Wheelchair-Accessible Seat on Amtrak

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Train travel has many advantages. You can leave the driving to someone else and sit back and enjoy the scenery. When nature calls you can just roll down the aisle to an accessible restroom. And if you get hungry there are many tasty onboard choices. Additionally, unlike auto travel, you can also enjoy an adult beverage during your journey. And the good news is, not only does Amtrak offer wheelchair-accessible seating, but they also give disabled passengers a 10% discount off their fares. Ready to ride the rails? Then here’s how to book a wheelchair-accessible seat on Amtrak.

Check That Box!

Making a reservation for a wheelchair-accessible seat is pretty straightforward; however there is one critical component to the process. Go to www.Amtrak.com and enter your departure station, your destination and your travel dates. On the next line, select the number of travelers, and then check the box that says “passenger with disability or assistance needed”. It’s easy to miss, but it’s an essential step in order to get an accessible seat.

After you check that box, a disability assistance questionnaire will appear. The first window asks about your disability, while the second window asks if you need an Amtrak wheelchair, or if you travel with a wheelchair or a cane. The third window determines your accessible seating preference, as it asks if you want to travel in your manual wheelchair, stow your collapsible wheelchair on board, or if you use a power wheelchair or scooter. The next window asks about service animals, and the final window has a few questions about station assistance. And if you need assistance with something not listed, you can always give them a call at (800) USA-RAIL to have it added to your profile

After that you can select your train from the displayed choices and complete your reservation. If you are on a reservable train, you will automatically be assigned the accessible seating choice you selected. If you are traveling on a non-reservable train, then it will alert personnel to your accessible seating needs. If, on the other hand, you didn’t check the “disability box”, neither of these things will happen; and you won’t get an accessible seat.

If Things Go Wrong

Of course, sometimes people miss the check box and end up not being able to select a wheelchair-accessible seat on Amtrak. That was the case with one recent passenger on the Acela train out of New Jersey. He missed the check box and was assigned a standard seat. Since he needed an accessible seat he tried the online chat option to resolve the issue. The only solution they offered was to cancel his original reservation and rebook him in an accessible seat. Unfortunately, since the fare had gone up since he initially booked his ticket, he would of been charged nearly double his original fare just to get an accessible seat. It’s not Amtrak’s policy to charge disabled passengers more for an accessible seat, but the chat option just didn’t resolve things.

So the passenger reached out to everyone he could and eventually he worked his way up the ladder. Ultimately he was rebooked in an accessible seat at no additional charge, but it did take a lot of legwork on his part.

In the end, it’s important to remember that when you book a wheelchair-accessible seat on Amtrak it will be the same price as a standard seat. If you find that isn’t the case, or if you have been charged extra for an accessible seat in the past, then it’s time to contact Amtrak. According to an Amtrak spokesperson, they will make it right. They are adamant about not only going the extra mile to provide disabled passengers with accessible seating and assistance; but they also do it for the same price that non-disabled passengers pay. If you find that’s not the case, then give them a call at (800) USA-RAIL or use the online contact form at www.amtrak.com/contact-us/email.html to rectify the matter.

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Barrier-Free Travel
National Park Lodges
for Wheelers and Slow Walkers

Buy the Book