Slide 1: 
Marketing for Accessibility: Tips and Tools for the Hospitality Industry
Marian Vessels. Director, Mid-Atlantic ADA Center, Don Brandon, Director, Northwest ADA Center, Sara Woody BluePath Coordinator, Northwest ADA Center

Slide 2: 
National Initiative - Hospitality and Disability, an ADA National Network Initiative  logo, an outreach palm with an old style hotel bellman's service bell

Slide 3: 
Webinar Features
Closed captioning – click CC icon (top of screen) or control-F8 and adjust your screen
Questions - type and submit questions in the Chat Area Text box or press control-M and enter text in the Chat Area.  Please do not use emoticons or hand-raising features during this session

Slide 4: 
From the General Accounting Office:
The hospitality and hotel industry received a 12% revenue increase just by implementing access provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Slide 5: 
Open Doors Organization & Harris Interactive
A study conducted in 2002: Stated that adults with disabilities spent approximately $13.6 billion annually on travel.  Suggested that revenues from this market could easily double if certain needs were met and obstacles removed. 

Slide 6: 
Open Doors Organization & Harris Interactive
A follow-up poll conducted in 2005 shows that: travel by people with disabilities increased 50% in two years and more than 21 million adults with disabilities traveled for pleasure and/or business in 2004. A majority - 60% - reported barriers of some type – physical, customer service or communication – during their stay.

Slide 7: 
Three out of five hotel users report that they encounter obstacles when staying at hotels 
Physical Obstacles (48%): Doors that are heavy or hard to open (36%); Not enough room to maneuver in hotel rooms and/or bathrooms (20%); Inaccessible shower or bath facilities (19%)

Slide 8: 
Barriers found at Hotels…
Service/Personnel Obstacles (45%): 
Lack of availability of convenient rooms, such as on the first floor or near the elevator (36%)  
Hotel personnel not aware of services provided for people with disabilities (17%)
 Communication-related obstacles (15%): Difficulty communicating with hotel personnel (10%)
Slide 9: 
New 2010 ADA Standards:
Accessible single user toilet rooms will require more space for transfers for doors that swing inward.  AccessibilityOnline Webinar Series:  Accessible Doors 
http://www.accessibilityonline.org/Archives/Materials/FY2011/2011-06-02_Accessible_Doors_Maneuvering_Clearances_2_Sides_per_page.pdf

Slide 10: 
Swimming pools will require lifts or sloped entry_ Required means of access into the water.  Over 300 linear feet of pool wall requires one lift or sloped entry. Picture	woman assisting child entering swimming pool in pool lift.  Picture	man using controls to lower himself into swimming pool using pool lift.  Picture	sloped entry into swimming pool with handrails on both AccessibilityOnline Webinar Series:  Accessible Health Clubs and Fitness Facilities  
http://www.accessibilityonline.org/Archives/Materials/FY2011/2011-08-04_Accessible_Health_Culbs_and_Fitness_Facilities_2_Slides_Per_Page.pdf 

Slide 11: 
Exercise machines will need to be on an accessible route surrounded by clear floor space. Graph of an exercise room with two individuals using the machines. Image of Hilton’s stay fit kit

Slide 12: 
Clothes washers and dryers, kitchens and vending machines will need to be accessible. Diagram of top loading and front loading washing machine. diagram of kitchen showing 60 inches of clear width 

Slide 13: 
The dispersion of accessible guest rooms will change the number of rooms requiring mobility and communication features. 
Table showing the number of guest rooms required to have communication features: 
2-25 Rooms require minimum of 2 guest rooms with communication features 
26-50 Rooms require minimum of 4 guest rooms with communication features 
51-75 Rooms require minimum of 7 guest rooms with communication features 
76-100 Rooms require minimum of 9 guest rooms with communication features 
101-150 Rooms require minimum of 12 guest rooms with communication features 
151-200 Rooms require minimum of 14 guest rooms with communication features 
201-300 Rooms require minimum of 17 guest rooms with communication features 
301-400 Rooms require minimum of 20 guest rooms with communication features 
401-500 Rooms require minimum of 22 guest rooms with communication features 
501-1000 5 percent of total 
1001 and over 50 plus 3 for each 100 over 1000 

Slide 14:
Saunas and steam rooms will require accessible doors, turning space and benches. 
Four people wrapped in towels dance in a conga line inside a sauna 
Slide 15: 
New Requirements for Making Reservations: allow individuals with disabilities to make reservations for accessible guest rooms during the same hours and in the same manner as other guests.  Hold back the accessible guest rooms for people with disabilities until all other guest rooms of that type have been reserved.  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. And identify and describe accessible features of a guest room

Slide 16: 
Screen shot of Hilton website showing guest room choices
Cool I can book an accessible room from the website! 

Slide 17: 
Screen shot of Hilton's list of amenities in accessible room
Wow this room has a lot of nice amenities, but I can’t tell if it will meet my needs. 

Slide 18: 
Web shot of Wyndam website detailing the accessible features in their accessible room
Perfect 

Slide 19: 
Guidance on 2010 ADA Regulations: 
Identify and describe accessible and non-accessible features  in the hotel and guest rooms in enough detail to reasonably permit individuals with disabilities to assess independently whether a given hotel or guest room meets his or her accessibility needs.
Room type and number of beds (two queen, deluxe executive suite, etc)
Communication features (visual alarms and notification devices, etc)
Type of bathing facility (bathtub with grab bars, roll in shower, etc)

Slide 20: 
Examples of Accessible Features to describe: 
Guest Room: door width; maneuvering space in bathroom and guest room; features of tub, shower, toilet, sink; height of closet bars, shelves, temperature controls and outlets; length of curtain wands; bed height;  notification devices, alarms, TTY phone; large print or audio recordings of hotel services; room service menu; TV channels; hotel amenities; emergency exit descriptions

Slide 21: 
Examples of Accessible Features to describe:
Hotel Property: location of accessible parking; description of accessible route; lowered counter at check in; carpet thickness; accessibility of: gym; business center; swimming pool/spa/sauna; meeting rooms; restaurant; complimentary transportation; how to arrange accessible transportation 
Slide 22: 
Guidance on 2010 ADA Regulations 
Ensure that employees (onsite and at a reservations center)are available to provide additional information such as the specific layout of the room and bathroom, shower design, grab bar locations, and other amenities, such as a bathtub bench.  Train staff on: features of each different accessible room; differences between rooms with mobility vs. communication    features; how to communicate respectfully with guests who have physical or intellectual disabilities

Slide 23: 
New Hospitality and Disability Website - screen shot of home page for the hospitality and disability website

Slide 24: Hotel Customer Service and the ADA Developed by the Mid-Atlantic ADA Center
Image of a family arriving at a hotel, one member uses a scooter

Slide 25:
Guests Who are Blind or Have 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
International Symbol of individual using white cane. picture of a woman using a white cane to navigate along a sidewalk

Slide 26: 
Fact Sheet
Removable Tub Seats/Transfer Benches http://www.adainfo.org/content/hospitality-initiative 
Picture of a transfer bench in a bathtub. Image of a transfer bench with back, one arm rest and rubber plungers on seat legs 

Slide 27: 
Tax Deductions
IRS Tax deduction for businesses of any size
Up to $15,000 for removing barriers in buildings or vehicles
Cannot be used for renovation work
Is applicable every tax year
IRS Code: Section 190, Barrier Removal Forms:
907 & 535

Slide 28: 
Assessment Tools 
AH&LA  is developing a checklist which will be available Spring 2012 based on the 2010 ADA Standards.  BluePath has a checklist for hotels that focuses on usability – a good introduction to identify barriers and apply for membership.

Slide 29: 
Screen shot of BluePath home page of website

Slide 30: 
www.blue-path.com 
Encourage businesses to remove barriers and improve        cross-disability access.
Provide tools to evaluate physical access and educate on disability-focused customer service.
Inform customers with disabilities about the access they will find at a BluePath business.
Expand awareness about the value of the disability market.
Reward businesses with membership status and targeted marketing. 

Slide 31: 
Screen shot of business profile on BluePath website

Slide 32: 
Screen shot of business profile page on BluePath website

Slide 33: 
Put out a welcome sign! Photo of a van accessible parking space

Slide 34: 
Advertise your space! Photo of a hotel lobby

Slide 35: 
Advertise your space! Photo of a hotel restaurant with wide path between tables

Slide 36: 
Show off your accessible features!
photo of a lowered check-in counter with smiling staff person.  Photo of a lowered check in counter
Slide 37: Market your accessible features! Photo of a roll in shower with transfer bench, 2 grab bars and hand held shower nozzle.  Photo of a bath tub with 3 grab bars and hand held shower nozzle

Slide 38: Describe your accessible features! Photo of a closet with lowered clothes bar, iron and drawers

Slide 39: 
Get creative with your accessible features!
Photo of a cabinet under TV with microwave, coffee pot, tea selections and mini fridge

Slide 40: 
Make your accessible features universal!
Photo of a bathroom with lowered towel rack, mounted hair dryer, knee clearance under sink and pipe covering

Slide 41: 
Access makes everyone comfortable!
Photo of two guest rooms with ample clear floor space at base of two beds.  Photo of a guest room with one bed and wall mounted desk.

Slide 42: 
Screen shot of BluePath website

Slide 43: 
Microtel Inn and Suites
Solutions Marketing Group - 2006
Microtel's hard work has triggered a superb effect in their bottom line. They reported sharp gains in 2004 bookings for ADA room nights -- up by nearly 275% over the previous year. In addition, net revenues for ADA room nights increased by more than 260%. Internet bookings for ADA rooms during the same period marked the strongest gains, with an increase of more than 400%. 

Slide 44: 
Males 65 and over
15,150,000 total; 9,357,000 without disabilities; 2,751,000  with 1 disability; 3,041,000  with 2 disabilities.  Source:  US Census 2006

Slide 45: 
Females 65 and older
20,421,000 total; 11,646,000 without disabilities; 3,497,000  with 1 disability; 5,278,000  with 2 disabilities Source:  US Census 2006 

Slide 46: 
US Census 
An American turns 50 every 7 seconds—that's more than 12,500 people every day.
By 2030, the 65-plus population will double to about 71.5 million, and by 2050 will grow to 86.7 million. AARP
By 2015, those aged 50 and older will represent 45% of the U.S. population.

Slide 47: 
Baruch College-Harris Poll commissioned by Business Week Magazine 
Internet users over-50 age group are the most likely to buy online Media Matrix Report Seniors are the fastest growing Internet demographic group Seniors go online more frequently and stay on the Internet longer than those under age 50 Seniors comprise 20% of total online users outpacing 18- to 24-year olds who trail at 17.5% Jupiter Research One-third of the 195.3 million Internet users in the U.S. are adults aged 50+ and represent the Web's largest constituency

Slide 48: 
The Silver Tsunami  
78 million Americans who were 50 or older as of 2001 controlled 67% of the country's wealth, or $28 trillion. U.S. Census and Federal Reserve. 96% of baby boomers participate in word-of-mouth or viral marketing by passing product or service information on to friends. - ThirdAge and JWT Boom 42% of all travel industry purchases happen online, and adults 50+ account for 80% of all luxury travel spending. - Pew Internet and American Life Project

Slide 49: 
“Dot Boom” 
Social Networking Doubles Among Boomers and Seniors
Emarketer, 9/13/10
> Read More 
Social Networking Surges For Seniors
NPR, 9/9/10
> Read More 
Senior Moment: Tweetin' Grannies and Gramps Outpace Social Whippersnappers
Fast Company, 9/1/10
> Read More 

Slide 50: 
The Graying of America  
“At more than 100 million strong, baby boomer and older customers (born before 1965) are the single largest consumer group in America, and they are the wealthiest, best educated and most sophisticated of purchasers. With more disposable income than any population in America, they are, in fact, the New Customer Majority.”

Slide 51:
Screen shot of AARP website

Slide 52: 
logo for wheelchair traveling.com website (www.wheelchairtraveling.com); logo for a website saying" I CAN travel" with confidence no matter what the challenge; Logo for Rolling Rains Resport.  Precipitating Dialogue on Travel, Disability and Universal Design; DisabledTravelers.com Logo (www.disabledtravelers.com); Cover of 101 Accessible Vacations Magazine; Cover of Barrier Free Travel Magazine; Cover of Kids On Wheels magazine
Slide 53: 
SATH Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality 
The nonprofit Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality (SATH), made up mostly of travel agencies catering to those with mobility disabilities, saw members’ hotel bookings more than double last year, a remarkable feat in a recession.

Slide 54: 
National Geographic Traveler
Rebels with a Cause (September 2011) 
Boomers, many of whom came of age holding a protest sign, are joining forces with disability and senior groups to add muscle to the cause of increased accessibility in travel. “They don’t intend to let hip replacements and insulin shots stop them from traveling,” says Rains. “Nor will they be pandered to, stigmatized, or written off.”

Slide 55: 
Bookmark :Hospitality Initiative logo: Become a BluePath Member: BluePath logo; Call your local ADA Center ADA  National Network logo
Slide 56: Thank you for participating in today’s ADA-Audio Conference 
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