CHICAGO—The Open Doors Organization (ODO) has released the results of a survey that reports a sharp decline in the number of obstacles encountered for American adults with disabilities during visits to hotels. In 2015, 46% of hotel users reported major obstacles, down from 60% in 2005—a 23% decline—indicating that hotel chains are on the right path to creating barrier-free environments, according to a survey conducted by the organization.
In addition, more than 75% of travelers with disabilities stayed in a hotel from 2013–2015, with 33% falling into the heavy hotel users category, staying three or more times. Among the most frequently visited hotel franchises are Comfort Inn, Best Western and Holiday Inn Express—in descending order of frequency.
These findings are from ODO's 2015 nationwide survey, conducted by Mandala Research, LLC, as a follow-up to the organization’s studies in 2002 and 2005 on the spending trends and market scope of U.S. adult travelers with disabilities.
Additional findings show:
• On average, travelers with disabilities spend $100 per day on hotel accommodations, a $25 increase since ODO's 2005 market study.
• The median number of stays declined from three to two, the 2002 pre-recession level, reflecting the impact of the economic downturn on the disability community, according to the survey.
• Reports of "heavy, hard to open doors" dropped from 36% to 18%—a 50% decline, while "inadequate space in bathrooms" fell from 20% to 9%—a 55% decline—from 2005 to 2015.
• "Customer service/personnel obstacles" overall dropped from 45% to 27%, a 40% decline, while "personnel not aware of services" fell from 17% to 6%, a 65% decline.
"This is a really huge change for the better," stated Eric Lipp, executive director, ODO. "Too often properties have focused just on ADA standards and not on staff training, but it's the human element that makes a hotel stay memorable. When employees are knowledgeable and aware, we all get to feel welcome, not like a burden or inconvenience."
The 2015 ODO Market Study was conducted online in January and February 2015 among a national sample of 1,291 adults with disabilities aged 18 or over.
