News Release
U.S. Department of Justice
United States Attorney
District of Rhode Island
October 16, 2007
U.S. Attorney's Office to review Rhode Island hotels for disability access
The United States Attorney's Office is conducting a review of hotels in Rhode Island to determine whether they are in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
United States Attorney Robert Clark Corrente announced the initiative, which began this month, which is Disability Awareness Month. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has sent a detailed survey form to 16 hotels in the Providence and Warwick, and has asked that the hotels complete and return the forms within 30 days. Additional hotels will be surveyed in the future.
The ADA prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by private entities that own or operate "places of public accommodation," a category that includes hotels. The ADA authorizes the Department of Justice to investigate complaints and to undertake periodic reviews of compliance of facilities covered by the law.
U.S. Attorney Corrente said that it may be necessary for representatives of his office to conduct on-site inspections to confirm survey responses and review a hotel’s compliance with the ADA.
“This is a review process, not an enforcement action,” U.S. Attorney Corrente explained. “We will work with hotel owners and operators in an effort to secure voluntary compliance with the law’s requirements. The Americans with Disabilities Act is vitally important to Rhode Island residents and visitors alike, and it is imperative that hotels and other public accommodations
comply with their obligations under federal law. We look forward to working with the owners and operators of Rhode Island hotels as we assess their compliance with federal law.”
The ADA initiative is being conducted in accordance with the Department of Justice’s statutory responsibility to review compliance with federal law, and not in response to any specific complaint against any hotel.
Hotels that have not yet received the survey may initiate their own internal reviews. Survey forms can be obtained by contacting Assistant U.S. Attorney John P. McAdams at 401-709-5000.
Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation in Rhode Island is not accessible to persons with disabilities may use the Civil Rights Complaint Form available on the Department of Justice’s ADA website: www.ada.gov.
Assistant United States Attorney McAdams is coordinating the initiative.