FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                          CR
TUESDAY, JULY 1, 1997                              (202) 616-2777
                                               TDD (202) 514-1888

                                 
    FLORIDA HOTEL AGREES TO MAKE ITS SERVICES ACCESSIBLE TO
             PEOPLE WHO ARE DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING
                                
                                
     WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A Ft. Lauderdale hotel will provide
special phones, flashing smoke and fire alarms and television
decoders for closed captioning for guests who are deaf or hard of
hearing, under an agreement reached today with the Justice
Department. 

     Today's settlement with the owners of the Lauderdale Beach
Hotel resolves a complaint filed under the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA) by a deaf couple from Pennsylvania.  The
agreement sets forth the steps the hotel will take to comply with
the law, including providing closed captioning television
decoders, telecommunications devices for the deaf (TDDs), and
other services. 

     "Deaf and hard-of-hearing guests deserve the same quality of
services as other guests," said Isabelle Katz Pinzler, Assistant
Attorney General for Civil Rights.  "By entering into this
agreement, the Lauderdale Beach Hotel has shown that it values
all of its guests.  We are pleased that the hotel will take these
steps to ensure equal treatment."

     According to the couple's complaint, the two planned in
April 1996 to stay at the Lauderdale Hotel as part of a cruise
package trip.  They called in advance to request a TDD and close-
captioning decoder.  The manager informed them that none of the
requested equipment was available, and that he had no idea where
to obtain it.  The couple had already paid for their room through
a travel agency, and could not change hotels.

     Under today's agreement the hotel will:

     *    purchase 12 TDDs for guests (and an additional TDD to
          be used at the front desk);

     *    install flashing alarms to alert deaf and hard-of-
          hearing guests of visitors and phone calls;

     *    install flashing alarms to alert deaf and hard-of-
          hearing guests of fire and smoke;

     *    provide televisions with decoders for closed caption
          television broadcasts;

     *    make arrangements, within two hours, to rent or share
          additional TDDs upon receiving a request by an deaf or
          hard-of-hearing guest that cannot be met because all
          units are already in use; and,

     *    pay $5,000 in compensatory damages to the guest.

     The Department reached a similar agreement today with the
Hotel Bel-Air in Los Angeles.  

     Under the Title III of the ADA, which was signed into law
July 26, 1990, public accommodations, such as hotels, must
provide effective communication for persons with hearing
disabilities.  This includes the provision of TDDs, televisions
with captioning and visual alarms.  The Justice Department has
reached more than 500 settlements under the federal disabilities
law.

     Copies of the settlement may be obtained by calling the ADA
Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 (voice) or 1-800-514-0383
(TDD).  ADA information is also available from the Department of
Justice's HomePage on the internet, at: 
           (http://www.usdoj.gov/crt/ada/adahom1.htm).

                             # # #
97-276