Five Steps To Make New Lodging Facilities Comply With The ADA

STEP 5: INSPECT THE FACILITY AT THE COMPLETION OF CONSTRUCTION TO IDENTIFY ADA MISTAKES AND HAVE THEM FIXED.

While it is better to prevent ADA mistakes before they occur, it is also important for owners and franchisors to inspect new lodging facilities after construction to make sure they comply with ADA requirements. The Justice Department is responsible for enforcing the ADA, and ADA enforcement at newly constructed hotels, motels, inns and other places of lodging is one of the Department's top priorities. In addition, private individuals may file complaints about inaccessible facilities with the Department, or they may file their own lawsuits in federal court alleging ADA violations at facilities. The Department will be conducting many on-site inspections and compliance reviews of newly constructed lodging facilities. When ADA problems are identified, the Justice Department will take whatever legal action is needed to enforce the ADA, including requiring renovations needed to bring the facility into compliance with the ADA and imposing civil penalties. Noncompliance with ADA requirements cannot and will not be tolerated.

To assist owners and franchisors in identifying ADA mistakes at newly constructed lodging facilities, the Justice Department has prepared a self-help publication called "ADA Checklist for Newly Constructed Lodging Facilities." By using the survey document, which uses plain, nontechnical language and a simple "yes/no" format that can be completed by persons who are not architects or contractors, owners and franchisors can identify and fix ADA problems now, before a complaint is filed or the Justice Department begins an investigation of your new lodging facility.