Traveling with a wheelchair for about three years now, I have stayed at quite a few airport hotels. One of the perks offered by most airport-area hotels is a complimentary shuttle service to/from the airport.
Sadly, the majority of airport hotels don’t have an accessible shuttle. When I first started traveling with a disability, I took these inconveniences in stride and paid for a taxi out of my own pocket. I was averse to conflict and didn’t want to appear a burden. Now, as I advocate for accessible travel through this website, I can no longer turn a blind eye to disability rights violations.
The ADA is clear: Hotel shuttles MUST be accessible.
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) is very clear about the accessibility requirements of hotel and other courtesy shuttles. The United States Department of Justice has created a detailed guide to assist businesses in complying with the ADA. Lesson 7 of the guide addresses transportation services offered as a convenience to customers. I’ve quoted two relevant sections below, which make it clear that customers with disabilities cannot be left behind:
Some businesses provide transportation for their customers as a convenience that supports their primary business. Examples include hotels that provide courtesy shuttle vans for guests going to or from an airport or other local destinations…Companies that provide services like these must offer transportation to people with disabilities.
Companies that provide transportation services on demand (such as a hotel that sends a van to an airport to pick up a customer when the customer calls the hotel) can acquire vehicles that are equipped with a lift or can contract with another company to provide accessible service for the customers who need it.
In short, if a hotel offers a shuttle service – it must be accessible, or the hotel must have a plan to provide an alternate accommodation. This comes straight from the DOJ.
3 experiences, 3 problems
Last week, I stayed at three different airport hotels – in Atlanta, Orlando and Miami. Each hotel offered a complimentary shuttle service to guests, which I planned to make use of. I faced a different issue at each hotel, each being a violation of the ADA. I share this here not to complain, but to draw attention to accessibility barriers that must be torn down.
Atlanta – Accessible, but not equivalent.
The Courtyard Marriott Atlanta Airport North offers an accessible shuttle, but only one of the two shuttle buses are accessible. When I arrived to the airport, I waited nearly 45 minutes for the shuttle to pick me up. Able-bodied guests were able to board the inaccessible shuttle, which arrived after I had waited about 20 minutes at the pick-up area.
The next day, I requested the shuttle back to the airport at 3:00 p.m. Nearly an hour later, I was told that the keys to the accessible shuttle bus had been “misplaced.” The non-ADA shuttle made several trips between the hotel and airport before I could be accommodated using another hotel’s shuttle (thank you, Hilton Atlanta Airport!).
In total, I was delayed by more than an hour – it’s a good thing I was leaving early for my flight. Although I was ultimately accommodated, I didn’t receive the same service as able-bodied customers – a violation of my equal access rights, according to the ADA.
Miami – An alternate arrangement that failed.
Due to a weather diversion and delayed arrival to the Miami Airport, I missed my connecting flight and was stuck. After booking a room at the Hyatt Place Miami Airport East using the Hyatt mobile app, I called the hotel to request the shuttle.
I was informed that hotel’s own shuttle was not accessible, but the Embassy Suites (located next door) would give me a lift. An hour later, it hadn’t arrived. It being late in the evening, I decided to hail an accessible taxi – another feat altogether. I didn’t get to the Hyatt Place until more than two hours after I first called for the shuttle. To add insult to injury, I was out $20 for a taxi… to go 1.5 miles.
The next day, I needed a ride back to the airport, so I asked my hotel to arrange the Embassy Suites shuttle. Embassy Suites refused, saying they were not allowed to pick up guests from another hotel. Weird, I thought.
I spent the next half hour rolling to the airport on my own – all to save $20 on a return taxi.
The hotel didn’t have an accessible shuttle, and it clearly had no plan to accommodate me otherwise. Because I wasn’t accommodated, the hotel violated my rights under the law.
Orlando – “You can call a cab or take the city bus.”
I’ve done a bit of research, and haven’t found a single hotel that has an accessible shuttle near the Orlando International Airport. This is truly shocking.
I have family in Orlando, so I don’t usually require a hotel when visiting the City Beautiful. But an early flight made staying at an airport hotel the most convenient option for me last week. I selected the Renaissance Orlando Airport Hotel.
The staff at this property was incredibly friendly, but that doesn’t change the fact that the hotel’s shuttle is not accessible. When I asked for a ride to the airport, the hotel’s manager contacted numerous nearby hotels to request the use of their shuttle. Unfortunately, as I said before, none of them have an ADA-compliant vehicle.
My only options were calling a cab or riding the city bus, both at my own expense. I opted for the bus, as it only cost $2.00.
The ADA requires “equivalent service”
Here’s another quote from the DOJ’s ADA compliance guide I mentioned earlier:
The important thing to remember is that the service provided must be equivalent. If customers without disabilities can get transportation quickly and easily, people with disabilities deserve equivalent service. The services offered to people with disabilities must be as convenient as the services offered to other people in terms of fares, schedules or response times, hours of operation, pick-up and drop-off locations, and other measures of equivalent service.
The “equivalent service” rule is one that is already broken routinely by taxi companies, so I’m never surprised when hotel shuttles fail in this respect as well.
Service is rarely, if ever equivalent unless all shuttles are ADA accessible. One ADA shuttle in a fleet of two, three or more is not “equivalent,” as only half, or a third or fourth can be used by a person in a wheelchair. Every shuttle, even the wheelchair accessible ones, can be used by the able-bodied.
Of the three experiences I had last week, only one hotel provided an accessible shuttle. Even then, I was made to wait for long periods of time, and the service offered to me was not equivalent with that offered to other travelers.
A difference of 5 or 10 minutes… who cares? But an hour? That’s not okay.
Update: I was recently informed by attorneys at the Department of Justice that hotels offering a regularly scheduled, fixed route shuttle service must comply with a higher standard than “equivalent service.” These hotels (where shuttles run continuously and guests do not have to call for pick-up) must offer a 100% accessible shuttle service. This means that if even one of the hotel’s airport shuttles are inaccessible, the property is in violation of the law.
So, what can you do?
When your ADA rights are violated, you’re left with only a few options. You could file suit in a court of law, but that’s time-consuming and costly.
I recommend that you reach out to the hotel or business directly. Ask them to make you whole.
With respect to these three hotels, I’ll be sending in a request for reimbursement of the taxi/bus fares I was required to pay. As compensation for my lost time and frustration, I’ll also ask each property to deposit points into my rewards accounts – enough for a free night at each respective hotel. Finally, I’ll ask for a briefing on how they plan to ensure guests with disabilities receive an equivalent service in the future.
Sometimes, the hotel management is simply unaware that a problem exists. Rather than going to war, I would prefer to work together and create a solution that will benefit others in the future. The pursuit of civil rights is never easy and results are never instant, but we must join hands to create the accessible world of tomorrow.
