Reading about the Lancaster Arts Hotel has me imaging a dressed down version of Hobart, Tasmania's impressive Henry Jones Art Hotel.
The Jones was not spectacularly accessible -- bathroom counters with no legroom under them for wheelchair users -- but it didn't seem to flaunt such obstacles as stairways or exhibit confusion about what might constitute an accessible bathroom. In fact, their combination of Braille and illuminated signage throughout the building was artistically compelling.
Jane Holahan writes of the Lancaster Arts Hotel in Lancaster Luxury: Former Tobacco Warehouse Becomes Arts Hotel:
Twelve of the rooms feature whirlpool baths, four have handicapped accessible bathrooms and all other rooms feature walk-in showers.
From those of us who regularly use our own whirlpool baths at home, "What could you possibly have done to make these twelve bathrooms inaccessible? And more importantly, why go through the trouble to do so?"
From those who prefer roll-in showers (and the rusty wheelchair bearings they inevitably seem to cause on my chair at least), "What did you do to make all the other "luxury" showers walk-in but not roll-in?"
From those who can do simple math, "Why the quotas?"
It may be simply that the reviewer is not familiar with the language and principles of Universal Design.
On the other hand, the owners and architect at the Lancaster Arts Hotel seem quite proud of their handiwork. I would assume they would be at pains to see press coverage of their hotel accurately portray their grasp of Universal Design if they had in fact applied it.
A Universally Designed hotel is in itself a work of art and a social statement worthy of appreciation and esteem. An arts hotel that excludes by design -- or by mere adherence to ADA quotas -- relegates its "art" to mere ornamentation hung on the walls. (And it loses clientelle.)
Posted by rollingrains at September 26, 2006 02:17 AM