Hotels Face Regulations For Disabled Access

By 13 WHAM, Friday March 16th

Reported by: Alexis Arnold Email: aarnold@13wham.com

Rochester, N.Y. – Hotels across the state had until Thursday to make improvements or have a plan in place to ensure access to the pools for people with disabilities.Hotels must have lifts, providing access to pools and whirlpools.

If those requirements aren’t met, hotels could face some steep fines.  Some hotels were concerned about meeting those requirements, citing concerns over safety and cost.
One lift can cost between $4,000 and $5,000.

“They’re supposed to be cemented on the floor and you’d need a lift for each body of water so for instance, you’d need a lift for a pool and a spa; so two lifts and cement those into the ground,” said the Courtyard Marriott’s Regional Manager Don Stubblebine.

“I think pools, public services in general should be more accessible. Hopefully people with disabilities will see the news coverage and know that they can ask for a pool to be accessible and know they can get into that pool,” said Chris Hilderbrant with the Center for Disability Rights, Inc.

Stubblebine says his hotel is in the process of ordering lifts and having them installed.

Mike Marsch, General Manager with the Radisson Riverside Hotel in downtown Rochester says they’re ordering a lift and will be compliant by the time their pool opens this summer.