Minh Vu and Laura Robinson Published in the Washington Business Journal
"Businesses to Feel $8.5B Price Tag of Revised Disabilities Regulations"

Seyfarth Shaw Labor & Employment attorneys Minh Vu and Laura Robinson wrote an article published in the Washington Business Journal on March 9. The article addressed the new rules associated with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) that will become effective as of March 15, 2012.

The article addresses some of the changes that local public venues should expect, notably retrofits to recreational facilities, which include swimming and wading pools; spas; saunas; steam rooms; exercise machines and equipment; children's play areas; fishing piers and platforms; recreational boating, golf, mini-golf and shooting facilities; amusement rides; team or player seating; and accessible routes in bowling lanes and sport-court facilities.

The article also notes that those in the banking industry will need to upgrade automatic teller machines (ATMs) with features to guide blind customers through audio instructions, tactile keypads and instructions in Braille.

The lodging industry will feel the greatest impact of the new regulations. In addition to the requirements state above, a lodging provider's reservation system has to provide more information about accessible rooms and common areas, and accessible rooms must be able to be reserved, blocked and guaranteed. The authors point out that millions of dollars have already been spent by hoteliers on modifications to their systems and websites, data gathering and employee training, but in the Justice Department's $8.5 billion estimate, those costs were excluded.

The authors conclude that when the Justice Department proposes more rules regarding the regulation of equipment, furniture and websites used in public accommodations, even more billions of dollars will be spent by businesses, and additional work for attorneys and consultants will undoubtedly ensue.