Accessible Lodging Factsheet

Revised and New Standards for Buildings and Facilities

The 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design include revised and new minimum requirements for newly and constructed or altered facilities so that they are accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities.

• Revised standards that apply to places of lodging include requirements for the number of accessible guest rooms providing mobility and communication features and there is also a requirement that these accessible rooms be dispersed among all categories or classes of quest rooms available in the facility.

• New standards that apply to places of lodging also cover requirements for accessible swimming pools and spas, exercise facilities, saunas and steam rooms, golf and miniature golf courses, boating and fishing facilities, and playgrounds for children. 

Newly designed and constructed places of lodging must comply with the new 2010 ADA Standards, and alterations must comply to the maximum extent feasible. Barriers must be removed to the extent that is readily achievable in existing facilities that do not comply with the original 1991 ADA Standards.

For those existing elements of a facility that were constructed or altered in compliance with the 1991 ADA Standards, no changes are necessary even if the new 2010 ADA Standards have different requirements for those elements. This situation is referred to as “safe harbor.” Safe harbor does not apply to those elements of a facility, like swimming pools, saunas and playgrounds that were not covered in the 1991 ADA Standards. However, when an alteration is performed, it must comply with the new 2010 ADA Standards. In those occasional cases where the nature of the facility makes full compliance with the 2010 ADA Standards virtually impossible, the alteration must provide the maximum amount of physical accessibility that is feasible. 

For further information of the 2010 ADA Standards, go to http://www.ada.gov/2010ADAstandards_index.htm.