ADA Guide for Places of Lodging: Serving Guests Who Are Blind or Who Have Low Vision

Guest Rooms and In-Room Guest Services

Orientation to the Room. Guests who are blind or who have low vision should be offered a thorough orientation to their guest rooms. If the guest accepts the offer, staff should explain the location of the bed, desk (and associated electrical outlet and data port, if provided), dresser, table and chairs, thermostat, television and remote control, light switches and lighting, closet, suitcase stand, and telephone. Staff should also offer to tell the guest how to operate the drapery controls and explain whether the curtains are open or closed and opaque or see-through. Staff should offer to turn the lights on for guests with low vision. If a microwave oven, coffee maker, or safe is provided, its location and operating instructions should also be given. When orienting the guest to the bathroom, staff should explain how to work the shower, where the linens, ice bucket, and glasses are located, and what complementary toiletries (shampoo, lotion, soap, etc.) are provided and how to distinguish them from each other. Staff may also offer to set up the iron and ironing board.

Staff should always inform guests as to the location of the nearest fire exit, using specific language such as, “In case of a fire, exit your room to the left. The emergency exit stairway will be the fifth door on your right.”

It is also helpful to inform the guest as to the location of ice and soda dispensers, using similarly specific language.

Lighting. Many who are legally blind or who have low vision will appreciate an increase in the amount of available lighting in their rooms. Simply changing light bulbs to a higher wattage or providing extra floor and table lamps may make a significant difference to them. Some hotels inform guests who are blind or who have low vision of the availability of additional room lighting when they check in.

Instructions for Use. During check-in, hotels should inform guests who are blind or who have low vision that the hotel will provide, free of charge, large print, Braille, and recorded instructions for all services for which print instructions are provided for guests. Some of the more common instructions include:

• Telephone – including dialing instructions, local and long distance charges, and a list of the in-house numbers for room service, wake-up calls, etc.;
• Room service menus, hours of operation, and telephone number;
• Television – including a list of available channels, instructions and charges for ordering inhouse movies, etc.;
• Thermostat – including any automatic features, location of ‘on’ and ‘off’ switches, etc.;
• Laundry, valet, and water-conservation policies;
• Security instructions;
• Check-out policy.

Guests may require assistance when ordering movies or using other television features, as choices are only visual and change frequently.

Recorded instructions can be provided on a telephone answering machine or by loaning the guest a cassette recording and cassette player upon check-in. A reasonable, fully refundable deposit may be required for cassette players.

Guest Room Telephones. Many people who are legally blind or who have low vision find it very difficult to see individual numbers on dial pads and important graphics (e.g., for room service, front desk, etc.) on guest room telephones. Most guest room phones are in beige or another neutral color and do not have much contrast between the background color and the color in which graphic information and numbers are displayed. High contrast large print templates can be fashioned to fit over the telephone keypad. Such templates can greatly reduce the number of repeat calls to hotel operators by people who simply cannot see all of the information displayed on the telephone. Some hotels provide such templates in the package of information they provide upon check-in to guests who are blind or who have low vision.

Emergencies. Emergency evacuation instructions should be provided in a way that can be used effectively in the event of an emergency. One way to do this would be to hang Braille and large print evacuation instructions on the back of the door, adjacent to where they are posted for others to see. Audiotapes may not provide effective communication in the event of an emergency.