Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The hotel industry has always been committed to ensuring persons with disabilities are protected under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) while staying at hotels across the country, since the inception of the law more than 30 years ago. The ADA is an important civil rights measure that hoteliers have long supported because they want to provide a welcoming experience for all guests and ensure customers can enjoy each of the facilities and amenities available at the hotel.
To that end, the industry works closely with U.S. Access Board, a federal agency responsible for developing guidelines and standards for the ADA, as well as the Department of Justice. The industry also has a representative on the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), which creates accessibility and safety guidelines for U.S. businesses, to ensure that the industry perspective is heard.
Our Position
AHLA and our members strongly support the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and are committed to ensuring that individuals with disabilities are provided unfettered access to our properties and online services.
Indeed, the intent of the ADA is to prohibit discrimination and ensure all Americans have equal access to public accommodations. Unfortunately, the law has been used as a weapon by scheming lawyers seeking to extort easy settlements from small business owners through demands for exorbitant attorney’s fees after alleging ambiguous violations of the law. AHLA is working with federal lawmakers to help find a remedy to the growing "cottage industry" of bad actors exploiting the ADA and small business owners.
Updates
Key Issues
AHLA is the leading voice representing every segment of the hotel industry including major chains, independent hotels, management companies, REIT’s, bed and breakfasts, industry partners and more.