Disabling Travel: Quantifying the Harm of Inaccessible Hotels to Disabled People
Embargo Period
8-17-2023
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-2023
Abstract
During its 2023–2024 term, the U.S. Supreme Court will decide a case with significant implications for the future of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). In Acheson Hotels v. Laufer, the Court will determine whether a civil rights “tester” plaintiff has Article III standing to sue a hotel for failing to provide information about the hotel’s accessibility online — in violation of Department of Justice (DOJ) regulations applying the ADA’s requirement of “reasonable modifications in policies, practices, or procedures” — when the plaintiff did not intend to book a hotel reservation. Plaintiff-Respondent Deborah Laufer has not only challenged the failure of Acheson Hotels to provide required information, but has also filed over 600 similar lawsuits, showcasing system-wide violations of the ADA’s “Reservation Rule.”
Keywords
Accessibility, traveling while disabled, accessible hotels, ADA, Acheson Hotels v. Laufer
Publication Title
Columbia Human Rights Law Review Online
Repository Citation
Popham, Kristen L.; Emens, Elizabeth F.; and Harris, Jasmine, "Disabling Travel: Quantifying the Harm of Inaccessible Hotels to Disabled People" (2023). Articles. 243.
https://scholarship.law.upenn.edu/faculty_articles/243