CHLA Lodging News July/August 2021

www.calodging.com July/August 2021 11 COMMUNICATION FEATURE GUEST ROOMS Summary So while many of the above items are not explicitly stipulated for guest rooms, they are items that should be considered. Some items are indeed required, and a certain amount of thought should be given on how to provide for better access. And do not forget, there are also requirements for non-mobility guest rooms for both new construction and alterations that have to do with doors and accessible routes within the rooms as well. Nothing in this article constitutes legal or design advice for a particular project or circumstance. Be aware that your local city or county may have additional requirements that are different or more restrictive than the state or federal requirements. Also, this article is an interpretation and opinion of the writer which may vary for a particular project or due to other circumstances. It is meant as a general summary—current original regulations should always be reviewed when making any decisions and specific advice by a qualified professional should be secured for a particular project or circumstance.  © Janis Kent, Architect, FAIA, CASp 2021 Janis Kent, FAIA, CASp is principal of Stepping Thru Accessibility and the Founding President of the Certified Access Specialist Institute (CASI), serving those involved with access, whether private practice or public sector. She has given presentations on Accessibility at numerous venues from Dwell On Design in Los Angeles, to Design DC in Washington, at the National ADA Symposium in Texas, and the National AIA Conventions in New York City, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Chicago, New Orleans, Orlando, and Las Vegas. Her most-recent book, published by Wiley— ‘ADA in Details—Interpreting the 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design’ came out in 2017. Her previous book, ‘Stepping Thru Accessible Details’, is described by the Secretary of the San Francisco Access Appeals Commission as, “The most comprehensive and thorough compilation of accessibility information I have encountered.” Communication feature rooms do not require the mobility aspects listed above unless they are the 10 percent that are designated to provide both. One of the big issues I see is, if doorbells are provided, the requirement is to be visible, not necessarily audible, and they are not to be tied into an alarm signal appliance. If audible doorbells are provided, and it is allowed although not required, the ring might be better sounding like a doorbell with an adjustable volume. I have seen these connected to visual strobes and loud alarms like a fire safety alarm appliance which is confusing—if someone cannot see, how do they differentiate between the sound of an alarm vs someone at the door. And if a person is deaf, how do they differentiate between a flashing strobe alarm which also signifies fire vs someone at the door. So even though these elements may not be tied into the alarm system itself, if it sounds/looks like an alarm, there would be a problem and a source of confusion.