Running head: ACCESSIBILITY ASSIGNMENT

Accessibility Assignment: Don Shula Hotel

Soraya Russell
Florida International University

ACCESSIBILITY ASSIGNMENT
Accessibility Assignment: Don Shula Hotel
This accessibility assignment allowed me as a student to take advantage of this hands on
experience and acquire in-depth knowledge of the ADA checklist. The establishment I chose to
conduct my survey at is a leisure facility, the Don Shula Hotel. Conducting the survey here
turned out to be quite interesting since the hotel has been established for over 40 years. At this
facility I was able to observe various advantages and barriers that affect the accessibility for
people with disabilities. This paper will further discuss my findings and recommendations from
this survey.
Advantages
Priority 1 - Approach and Entrance

Although this building was built many years ago, there were a few advantages that made
it accessible to persons with disabilities. To begin with, there are three accessible parking spaces
marked with the universal symbol to discourage others from parking in these spaces. The amount
of accessible parking spaces is adequate for the amount of inaccessible parking spaces available.
The parking spaces are wide enough to accommodate the needs of a person with a disability,
especially someone in a wheelchair. Likewise, the signs with the universal symbols are raised
high enough from the ground to be seen.
The main entrance is also accessible for those with disabilities. There is a curved
passenger drop off/loading zone in front of the main doors, which is suitable for a van. The
adjoining sidewalk has a running slope/ramp at both ends of the sidewalk. There is also a curb
ramp located to the right of the doors leading from the passenger drop off to the front doors. The
accessible route (sidewalk) is wide, stable and firm. The front doors are automatic sliding doors
so they do not require any manual labor to open.

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Priority 2- Access to Goods and Services

Upon entering the hotel there is ample amount of space for a person to walk through and
into the lobby. Likewise, there is plenty of room in front of the front desk for a person using a
wheelchair or a white cane to maneuver without incidents. The hotel also has a full size elevator
with buttons low enough for a person in a wheelchair, for example, to use without difficulty. The
elevators car control buttons are raised and equipped with braille. The aisles and doorways
throughout the facility are wide enough to maneuver through and all doors can be opened using
one hand.
Priority 3- Toilet Rooms
Although, the bathroom was not that big because it only had 3 stalls, it was still big
enough to accommodate a person with a disability. Most of the space in the bathroom was
allotted to the accessible stall. Inside the stall there was enough space to move around and
contained a grab bar on the wall to accommodate people in need of support. The water faucets
were automatic which in my opinion is a great advantage. The sink and mirror were both low
enough for a person who uses a wheelchair to access.
Priority 4 Additional Access
The water fountain was located in such a way that it could be accessed easily. It
accommodated a forward approach and a parallel approach. There were two water fountains
side-by-side, one higher than the other, which can accommodate two different heights. The water
fountain control could be operated with ease, with the use of one hand.
Barriers
Priority 1 Approach and Entrance

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The parking lot had a few barriers that I noticed during my survey. For instance,
according to Standards # 208 and 502, there was no van accessible parking space. Also, based on
those same standards the access aisles did not have an adjoining route or nearby ramp. These
disadvantages can provide barriers for people who use wheelchairs (i.e. people who have
paraplegia, hemiplegia, cerebral palsy) and are loaded into a van. Also, the inaccessible entrances
did not have signs indicating where the nearest accessible entrance is located, according to
Standard # 404.
Priority 2 Access to Goods and Services
Some significant barriers I noticed were that there werent many accessible routes to the
slightly lower levels in the facility. For example, to access the little stores and restaurant in the
hotel you have to walk down a few steps, there was no ramp. This would certainly be a barrier
for someone who uses a wheelchair or even someone who uses a crutch. While it would not be
impossible for someone who uses a crutch to bypass this barrier it would add difficulty. Standard
# 703 addresses the signs in a facility. The barrier I observed with this was that the signs were
not located near the latch side of the door; they were on the door itself. There was also no raised
lettering or braille on the signs. This would create a barrier for someone with a visual
impairment. Regarding Standard # 904, the front desk countertop was too high and could create a
barrier for someone of short stature or who uses a wheelchair.
Priority 3 Toilet Rooms
The sign outside the bathroom was not located near the door latch, it was on the door
itself and there was no braille. These barriers would fall under Standard # 703 from the checklist.
Standards # 603 and 609 require a grab bar at least 42 inches long, but the grab bar in this
restroom was only 38 inches long. Also, there was no grab bar along the rear side of the wall.

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Regarding Standard # 604, there was an inadequate amount of space provided beyond the swing
of the stall door.
Priority 4- Additional Access
The only barrier I observed in this area is that the spout outlet of one of the fountains was
higher than 36 inches, according to Standard # 602. This would provide a barrier for a person of
short stature or a person who has a physical impairment and uses a wheelchair and is unable to
reach that high to sip the water. This facility, like most facilities today, does not have a public
telephone so I was unable to observe any barriers in this area.
Accessibility Recommendations
While observing and surveying the facility when I noticed a barrier, I immediately
thought of a way each could be changed to accommodate persons with disabilities. To meet
Standards # 208 and 502, the facility could add a van accessible space and add an adjoining ramp
to the accessible aisles of the parking spaces. Although, the front entrance has a curved passenger
drop off that is suitable for a van, it would be convenient to have a van accessible parking space
as well. I would also recommend that the facility add or move the accessible parking spaces
closer to the main entrance of the facility. Placing signs at the inaccessible entrances to indicate
the location of the nearest accessible entrance is a good way to meet Standard # 404.
The manager that helped me in my journey at this facility informed me that the accessible
hotel rooms they provide are located further into the building, towards the middle. Even though
this may not go against the law, it would be keeping with the spirit of the law to move the
accessible rooms closer to the elevator (Dattilo, 2012, p. 179). According to Dattilo (2012) we
must go beyond responding to the letter of the law and respond to the spirit of the law (p. 179).
This means that we should do our utmost in doing our part to make persons with disabilities feel

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included. That being said, a recommendation I feel would be keeping this spirit would be adding
an automatic door opener to inaccessible doors. This would be especially helpful for this facility
since the parking spaces and rooms are not closest to the main accessible entrance.
Furthermore, I would recommend adding ramps throughout the facility so a person with a
disability could have complete access to all goods and services. The steps located throughout the
facility create barriers to anyone with a physical impairment that has difficulty in using stairs. To
meet Standard # 703, the facility could adjust the signs throughout the facility. The signs could
be moved to the closest side of the latch, raise the letters and add braille. These changes would
eliminate barriers for someone with a visual impairment. To eliminate some barriers in the
restroom, the facility could widen the accessible stall, elongate the grab bar and add an additional
grab bar on the rear wall. Eliminating these barriers would meet Standards # 603, 604 and 609.
When persons adopt the spirit of the law or ADA and display their commitment to participation
in inclusive leisure services it, in effect, increases contribution to the community (Dattilo, 2012,
p. 180).
Global Review of Disability and Accessibility
The country I chose from the International Disability Rights website to review is the
United Kingdom. Ive always been interested in the United Kingdom and felt that it would be a
good contender to compare with the United States. The International Disability Rights Monitor
(IDRM) states, Despite disability legislation in the United Kingdom dating back to the 1940s,
the UK has failed to take as aggressive a stance towards discrimination as the United States
(2003). Since the 1940s the UK took an interest in providing rights for those with disabilities
when it came to employment but that plan failed when the Disabled Persons (Employment) Act
1944 was poorly implemented (The International Disability Rights Monitor (IDRM), 2003).

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Since then they have advanced and relied on models provided by other countries, including the
United States and enforced the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) 1995 (IDMR, 2003).
The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the United States was passed in 1990, five
years before the DDA in the UK. Although, the UK showed interest in persons with disabilities
before the US they didnt update their laws until after the US so in that since they are behind us.
The ADA contains five major titles, these include: employment practice, government services
and public transportation, public accommodations by public agencies, communication systems
and miscellaneous (regulation, enforcement, etc.) (Dattilo, 2012, p. 141). The DDA in the UK
addresses a wide range of areas, these include: employment, public transportation, public
accommodation and services by private entities, education, telecommunications, housing and
enforcement of compliance. The main differences I notice between the two sets of laws are that
the ADA addresses government services, while the DDA does not. Also the DDA addresses
housing and education while the ADA does not.
In my opinion the ADA has had a significant impact on both society in general and
people with disabilities. Various articles and videos weve analyzed throughout the semester,
such as the movie, Music Within, highlight the difference the passing of the ADA has made in
attitudinal and architectural barriers (Sawalich & Donowho, 2007). Society has come a long way
in eliminating barriers for those with disabilities. We have gone from ignoring persons with
disabilities to inclusive leisure services. Recreation and sports services have made a significant
difference for persons with disabilities. The Special Olympics is an excellent example of those
services. Despite, advancements we have made I would like to see a difference in third world
countries that dont have as many rights as others.
References

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Dattilo,J.(2012).InclusiveLeisureServices(Thirded.,pp.141180).StateCollege,PA:
VenturePublishing.
Donowho,B.(Producer),&Sawalich,S.(Director).(2007).MusicWithin[Motionpicture].
UnitedStates:MetroGoldwynMayer(MGM).
InternationalDisabilityRightsMonitor(IDRM).(2003).InternationalDisabilityRightsMonitor
(IDRM)PublicationsCompendiumUnitedKingdom.RetrievedOctober30,2014,
fromhttp://www.ideanet.org/content.cfm?id=5B5F72#accommodation

600 NW 195th Terrace

Miami, FL 33169

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October 30, 2014

Gio Fiol
Don Shula Hotel
6842 Main Street
Miami Lakes, FL 33014
Dear Mr. Fiol:
I recently came to your facility to conduct an educational survey for the ADA checklist, where
the opportunity proved very informative for me. I wanted to take this opportunity to thank you
for your cooperation and assistance in my endeavors. Your permission to conduct my survey at
your facility allowed me to thoroughly complete my checklist. Upon completing my survey I
observed many positive aspects that fell in line with the standards of the ADA.
The major advantages I noted began with the entrance. The curved passenger drop off provides
adequate space for a van to load/unload a passenger with a disability. The use of curb ramps
would also prove useful for a person with a physical impairment that finds difficulty in using
stairs. The elevator in the hotel was very spacious and equipped with raised car controls and
braille. Furthermore, the accessible stall in the bathroom was wide and equipped with a grab bar
that would be useful for a person in need of assistance.
I also made note of a few changes I felt you could consider. In keeping with the spirit of the
ADA, it would be helpful if the inaccessible entrances had signs indicating the nearest accessible
entrance. Likewise, these entrances could benefit from an automatic door opener. In addition, the
inside of the facility could benefit from a couple of ramps leading to the goods and services
provided by the hotel. These changes would be invaluable in accommodating persons with
disabilities. Overall, this hotel displays many of the standards that the ADA checklist requires.
Once again, thank you for permitting me to conduct my survey at your facility and assisting me
with this important learning opportunity.
Best Regards,

Soraya Russell