Hospitality & the ADA: Accessible Conferences & Events Kelly A. Hickok Community Services Manager Resources for Independent Living, Inc. 1
Transcript
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Accessible Conferences & Events Kelly A. Hickok Community
Services Manager Resources for Independent Living, Inc. 1
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Accessible Conferences Maximize attendance and participation
through assessment, planning, and preparation Sites and facilities
Transportation Communication 2
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Location, location, location! Choosing accessible sites and
facilities Ask the venue staff (hotel, convention center, etc.) Ask
the locals (people with disabilities, disability organizations)
Check it out yourself Get professional help (consultants) 4
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Think globally Assess the community, not just the facility
Navigating the surrounding area Walkable? Sidewalks, street
crossings, etc. Restaurants, attractions, shops, etc. Service
animal relief areas Local transportation options 5
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Local transportation How will people get to the conference
facility or around the community? Public transit (city bus systems,
streetcars, subway systems, etc.) Private transportation (taxi
companies, airport or hotel shuttles, etc.) Are these systems
accessible?? 6
Accessible vehicles Rail: one car per train Street systems
(e.g. city bus, shuttle service van) Most systems, public or
private, must have accessible vehicles or ensure equivalent service
Private transportation provider running only automobiles (e.g. taxi
company) does not have to acquire accessible vehicles Stations,
terminals, stops! If you cant get to it, you cant get on it 8
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Equivalent transportation service Hours, days of operation
Response time Service area Fares, etc. EXAMPLE: Hotel with
inaccessible shuttle van contracts with local company to provide
lift-equipped van when needed; service must be equivalent to what
is available to other guests 9
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Check it out! Use the right checklist Use the right tools
Invest in good quality, basic tools Tape measure, level Use them
the right way Follow the checklist instructions 10
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Checklists: Hotels Accessibility Checklist for Hotels
(BluePath) ADA Checklist for New Lodging Facilities (Department of
Justice) 11
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Checklist: Big Daddy ADAAG Checklist Organized by sections
which can be used in various combinations or as supplements to more
basic checklists Includes sections on spaces and elements not
always found or addressed in detail in other checklists, for
example Assembly areas, including those with fixed seating Bus
stops Transit terminals and stations 12
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Checklist: Little Guy Readily Achievable Checklist for Existing
Business Facilities (Department of Justice) Short, easy Can be used
at any type of facility Addresses only basic spaces and elements
Parking Entrance Public restrooms, etc. 13
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2010 ADA Standards New 2010 ADA Design Standards will be
required for use on March 15, 2012 (can be used now) 14
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New facility standards 2010 Standards include many additions,
for example Kitchens and kitchenettes Laundry machines Saunas and
steam rooms Exercise machines Swimming pools and spas Golf courses
Playgrounds Boating and fishing facilities 15
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Revised facility standards 2010 ADA Standards also include many
revisions to current standards, for example Parking Toilet
facilities Assembly areas Transient lodging guest rooms 16
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Accessible Guest Room: EXAMPLE 17
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Hotel policies and procedures New ADA regulations, effective
March 15, 2012, establish new requirements for places of lodging to
facilitate people with disabilities making reservations for
accessible rooms 20
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Hotel reservation practices: #1 Enable individuals with
disabilities to make reservations during the same times and in the
same manner as others By telephone In person Through third parties
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Hotel reservation practices: #2 Identify and describe
accessible features of hotel and guest rooms in enough detail that
an individual with a disability can independently assess whether
the facility meets his/her needs 22
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Hotel reservation practices: #3 Hold back accessible guest
rooms until all other rooms of that type have been rented 23
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Hotel reservation practices: #4 Reserve accessible guest rooms
and remove them from the reservation system to eliminate
double-booking 24
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Hotel reservation practices: #5 Guarantee and hold specific
rooms reserved by individuals with disabilities, regardless of
whether specific rooms are held for others 25
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Be proactive Establish non-discrimination, equal opportunity
policy and include in conference promotions and materials Establish
and publish a reasonable deadline for participants to make requests
that will require individualized response Remember presenters,
speakers, and guests 27
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Be prepared To establish a reasonable deadline, and to respond
effectively to requests, you will need to learn about the resources
and procedures available to obtain various goods and services
Interpreters or CART providers Assistive listening devices (if not
already available at conference facility) Braille or
audio-recording services 28
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What you can do Design and create materials to be as accessible
and user-friendly as possible Brochures and promotional materials
Registration materials Conference programs, maps, handouts, etc.
Temporary signs Web sites 29
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Print communication Simple, easy-to-read fonts Good contrast
between text and background Non-glare finish Uncluttered designs
will be more user-friendly for everyone 30
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Electronic communication Electronic materials are not
automatically accessible Web sites, electronic files on CDs or
flash drives, etc. must be designed to be accessible, especially
for people using computer screen-readers (assistive technology that
converts text to mechanized speech) 31
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Accessible electronic communication Alt tags (simple text
descriptions) on images and graphics Description for video Captions
for audio Meaningful hyperlink text (Mid-Atlantic ADA Center, not
click here or www.ADAinfo.org)Mid-Atlantic ADA Centerclick
herewww.ADAinfo.org Consistent, meaningful styles (heading 1,
heading 2, etc.) Simple tables 32
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Insist and assist Insist that your sub-contractors, trainers,
and speakers follow guidelines and meet deadlines to ensure
accessibility Assist and support them Presentation practices and
tips Designing, producing accessible materials 33
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Train the trainers Train event staff Disability awareness
People-first language Offering assistance How to communicate
effectively Working with interpreters, CART providers Accessible
presentation practices Not an option! 36
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Set-up Accessible routes, accessible counter and table heights,
reachable self-serve items Displays and booths Registration and
information areas Refreshment and food service stations Tables and
seating Integrated wheelchair seating options 37
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Classroom Set Up Good for trainings and informal presentations
Easy for participants to take notes, have refreshments, etc. Allows
some interaction between trainer and participants Can be difficult
to foster interaction among participants
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Banquet Set Up Great for small group interaction Often used
when meals are being served Works well for large groups Can create
undesirable sight lines where participants have their back to the
speaker(s )
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Chevron Set Up Similar to classroom, but creates a more
intimate setting Allows for more interaction between trainer and
participants Provides good sight lines throughout the room
Excellent for trainings and audio-visual presentations
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U Shape (Horseshoe) Set Up Excellent for large group
interaction among participants Provides good sight lines throughout
Allows space for the trainer to stand and be seen by everyone Best
for small to medium-sized groups
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Theater (Auditorium) Set Up Maximizes room space for large
groups Good sight lines throughout the room Difficult for
participants to take notes or have refreshments Can be
uncomfortable for long trainings
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Hollow Square Set Up Good for facilitated discussion Small to
medium-sized groups Fosters interaction and brainstorming Best if
there is no one facilitator or if the leader is also part of the
group
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Board Room (Conference) Great for discussion and group
interaction Best for small groups (no more than 24 people) Best for
meetings without a trainer or where the leader is part of the group
If there is a trainer, some participants will have poor sight
lines
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Temporary fixes Temporary accessible parking spaces Temporary
signage Portable ramps Prop open heavy doors Place detectable
warning objects 45
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Tax Incentives Tax credit for small businesses (30 or fewer
employees OR $1 million or less revenue) Up to $5,000 to offset
costs of hiring interpreters, producing accessible materials
(Braille, etc.), removing structural barriers in existing buildings
Tax deduction for businesses of any size Up to $15,000 for removing
barriers in buildings or vehicles 46
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Resources ADA National Network Hospitality Initiative
www.ADAhospitality.org 1-800-949-4232 V/TTY U.S. Department of
Justice www.ada.gov 1-800-514-0301 V 1-800-514-o383 TTY U.S. Access
Board http://access-board.gov 1-800-872-2253 V 1-800-993-2822 TTY
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