1. Hotel Customer Service and the ADA
Developed by the
Mid-Atlantic ADA Center
This training is designed to help you provide better customer service to people with disabilities and understand why it’s important and beneficial for you to do so.
[Pass around the “Hospitality Training Attendance Sign-In” sheet.] I am passing around a sign-in sheet so we can keep track of who attended the training.

2. ADA Centers 10 regional Centers provide: Training Materials
Newsletters
Toll-free Technical Assistance Line:
Voice/TTY
Website:

3. What is the ADA?
Americans with Disabilities Act, civil rights law passed in 1990
Prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities by a variety of private businesses, including hotels and restaurants
Goal: The full inclusion of people with disabilities in all aspects of American society

4. Why was the ADA needed? Think back to before 1990…
There were fewer curb cuts
Many hotels and other businesses were not accessible
People with disabilities were rarely seen in advertisements and TV shows
Sign language interpreters were rarely used at public events
People with disabilities were excluded from many activities due to barriers
Can you think of other examples of things that have changed?

5. How many people with disabilities are there in the United States?
ADA Quiz
How many people with disabilities are there in the United States?
Just shout out a number; make a guess.

6. 54 MILLION Answer At least U.S. Census Bureau
Facts for Features: 20th Anniversary of the ADA
July 26, 2010
This is nearly 20% of the population, or about 1 of every 5 people in the country.

7. The Market
More than 21 million adults with disabilities traveled at least once in the preceding two years, and
More than 50% of them stayed in hotels during their trips
Open Doors Organization (ODO),
Travel Industry Association of America (TIA), 2005

8. The Market
However, 60% of guests with disabilities had problems at the hotels where they stayed
Physical barriers
Communication barriers
Customer service problems
Open Doors Organization (ODO),
Travel Industry Association of America (TIA), 2005
Naturally, people with disabilities often travel with family members, friends, or other companions, so the potential market for accessible and welcoming hotels is even greater.

9. How can we attract the market?

10. Examples of Accessibility
Fire alarm signals with flashing lights
Signs with Braille characters
Reading materials out loud
Exchanging written notes
Reserved parking spaces
No-step entrances
Larger restroom stalls
Self-service items within reach of seated people
Notice that some of these things are “built-in,” structural features (like fire alarms and restrooms) and others are customer-service actions – simple things you can do (like reading materials out loud or exchanging notes to communicate).

11. Brainstorm Accommodations
DISABILITY
Mobility impairment/ Wheelchair user
Blindness
Deafness
Psychiatric disability
Intellectual disability
Diabetes
Learning disability
Short stature
ACTIVITY
Stay overnight
Dine in restaurant
Attend party or event
Attend meeting or conference
Patronize bar/lounge
Use pool and/or fitness center
Pair up with the person sitting next to you, or form a small group of three people. Don’t get up or move around the room, because we are only going to spend a couple minutes on this activity. Choose one disability from the first column and one activity from the other column and take just a couple minutes to discuss what accommodations that person might need. You can ignore any activity that is not relevant in your hotel. For example, if you don’t have meeting or conference facilities, don’t choose that activity.

12. Guest Who is Deaf or Hard of Hearing
Write notes back and forth
Speak clearly and don’t cover your mouth
Use gestures and body language
If someone is interpreting for the guest, speak directly to the Deaf person, not to the interpreter
How many of you think lip reading is effective? Only 35% of English visible on mouth.
[OPTIONAL ACTIVITIES (Choose either or both if time allows): 1. Demonstrate lip-reading by mouthing “room three fifteen” and “island view,” and ask them what you said. “Room three fifteen looks much the same as “room three fifty;” “island view” looks much like “I love you.”
2. Pass around the “ASL pictures” and have the group practice the signs for “welcome,” “thank you,” and “help.”]

13. Telephone Relay System
A “communications assistant” relays telephone conversations for people who are Deaf, hard of hearing, or have speech disabilities
Some people with disabilities use devices like the one pictured here to type their messages to the communications assistant, others use computer and video equipment so they can use sign language, either way, you don’t need any special equipment to receive a relay call. You receive the call like any other, and simply speak to the communications assistant as if you were speaking to the caller with the disability. The communications assistant will type or sign everything you say, and speak to you what the caller types or signs.

14. Guest Who is Blind or Has Low Vision
Provide print information in large print, Braille, or electronic formats
Read menus or documents to the guest
Orient the guest to the hotel, including the lobby, their room, and areas in and around the hotel
Assist with finding signature line on guest checks, registration forms, etc.
Offer to trim a corner off a key card so the guest knows which way to put it in the door
[Pass around the “Tactile Sign Sample Picture” or a real sign with raised and Braille characters, good contrast, and matte finish (if you have one).] This is a sign with raised characters and Braille underneath. Some people who are blind or have low vision read the sign by feeling the Braille and others feel the raised characters. Notice that the sign also has a good contrast between the characters and the background, and a non-glare finish to make the sign easier to read by sight.

15. Being a “Sighted Guide”
Images Copyright © 2006 Earl Dotter and American Foundation for Blind
To act as a sighted guide, stand slightly ahead and to one side of the person you are guiding. They will lightly grasp your elbow. Walk normally; be aware of any obstacles they may encounter.
[If time allows, you may want to ask for one or more volunteers from the audience to demonstrate the sighted guide technique.]

16. Guest Using a Wheelchair
Do not lean on a person’s wheelchair while talking to him
If your counter is too high, use another location with a lower surface, or go around and give documents to the guest on a clipboard
Ask if guest needs an ADA-compliant room (accessible bathroom with grab bars, etc.)
Most wheelchair users consider their chairs part of their personal space; leaning on a person’s wheelchair is like leaning on someone’s shoulder or lap and would be considered rude.
It’s very important to try to ensure that when people with disabilities reserve accessible rooms with specific features, those rooms are available when the guest arrives. Your hotel may have rooms that are accessible in different ways. For example, some accessible rooms have bathtubs and some have showers. Guests who reserve a particular type may not be able to use a different type.

17. Guest with a Speech Disability
Don’t pretend you understand
Ask the person to repeat what was said
Be willing to write notes back and forth
Don’t shout or raise your voice
If the person uses a computer to talk, continue to have a normal conversation
Picture Communication Symbols© by Mayer-Johnson LLC. All Rights Reserved Worldwide. Used with permission. Boardmaker™ is a trademark of Mayer-Johnson LLC., P.O. Box 1579, Solana Beach, CA 92075,
[Pass around the “Communication Board Pictures.”] These are pictures of communication boards with symbols for various words and phrases. Some people with speech disabilities use devices like this to generate mechanized speech.

18. Guest with an Intellectual Disability
Don’t make assumptions about what the person can or cannot do
Explain things clearly and be willing to repeat if asked

19. Guest with a Service Animal
The ADA requires you to allow service animals throughout the hotel even if you have a “no animals” policy
Service animals are working animals and you should not pet or distract them
People with all types of disabilities use service animals
Identify areas outside where service animals can relieve themselves
You can’t ask about a person’s disability or for documentation or other proof that an animal is a service animal. You can ask what the animal DOES for the person, and if the person tells you the animal does some task for them, you must allow the person to bring the service animal in so long as it is well-behaved.

20. Making Accessible Rooms “Usable” for Wheelchair Users
Leave hand-held showerhead near faucet where it can be reached
Be sure all items in the room can be reached from a seated position. For example:
Lamps
Phones
Coffee pot
Alarm clock/radio
Iron
Ironing board
Blankets
Computer cords
Towels
Hair dryer
Toiletries
Showerhead

21. Wheelchair Accessible Bathroom
These photos show an accessible sink with clear space underneath and insulated pipes so the wheelchair user can pull up, and a hand-held shower spray unit within reach.

22. Things to Consider for Accessible Rooms
Adding power strips to ensure that outlets are accessible
Placement of furniture to allow wheelchair access to all areas of the room
Provide a card explaining why things are a bit different from standard rooms

23. Accessible Guest Room
These photos show how a wheelchair user is able to get to and use the drapery rod and the telephone.

24. Making Guest Rooms “Usable” for Guests Who are Blind
Provide as much information about the room and its features as possible
Thermostat
Phone and TV remote control
Outlets
Internet access
Toiletries
Drape cords or rods
You may need to explain where items are, how buttons work on the phone, remote control, thermostat, etc.

25. Making Guest Rooms “Usable” for Guests Who are Deaf
Have equipment available
TTY
Vibrating alarm
Doorbell and telephone alert signals
Volume control for phone
Assist guest in hooking up and using equipment

26. Disability Etiquette Review
Never lean on a person’s wheelchair
Speak directly to the person, not to an interpreter or companion
Never make assumptions – ask if they need help
THINK: CUSTOMER

27. Talking about Disability
Avoid terms like “the disabled.” Instead say “people with disabilities.”
Avoid the word “handicapped.” Instead say “person with a disability” or “accessible” (if referring to parking spaces, rooms, etc.).
Terms like “people with disabilities” are preferable because they put people first, while terms like “the disabled” put the focus on the disability.
The word handicapped is considered by many people to be outdated and offensive, so you should avoid it even though you may hear others use it, including some people with disabilities themselves.

28. Talking about Disability, cont.
Avoid saying “wheelchair bound” or “confined to a wheelchair.” Instead say “person who uses a wheelchair” or “wheelchair user.”
People are generally not “bound” or “confined” to their wheelchairs. People who use them to move around, travel, and participate in activities often view them as quite liberating.
Wheelchair bound?

29. Scenario
Someone calls your hotel and asks if it is accessible for people with disabilities. What would you say?
“Yes” is not a good enough answer. People often need specific information. Get to know your facility so you can give people accurate information! Asking people what their NEEDS are (not their disabilities) will often help you respond more effectively.

30. a person with a disability,
The “Bottom Line”
When you meet
a person with a disability,
THINK: CUSTOMER!
[Pass out any “take-away” handouts you wish to give the participants, such as “Talking about People with Disabilities,” brochures, etc. at this time.]

31. For More Information… ADA National Network 800-949-4232 V/TTY
Nationwide toll-free number:
V/TTY
( ADA)
Funded by the National Institute on Disability, Independent Living, and Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR) within the Administration for Community Living (ACL), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
[Pass out “Hospitality Short Term Eval” sheets.] I am passing out very short evaluation forms for you to fill out. We really appreciate your feedback on this training session, because it helps us improve our programs and report to our funders about our activities. [SUGGESTION: Offer a small “give-away” item to those who complete the evaluation form; give it to them when they turn in their form.]