PASSENGER VESSEL DESIGN AND THE ADA-AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT

The marine industry faces a challenge in making passenger vessels acce ssible to persons with disabilities. With the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act, freedom of access has become the law of the la nd. Accessibility issues pertaining to vessel design include embarking and disembarking the vessel, paths of travel aboard the vessel (doorw ays, thresholds, aisles), multideck access, accessible bathrooms and o ther services, and emergency evacuation. Accessibility extends beyond the wheelchair user to include the blind and visually impaired, the de af, and others. The design community, working with the passenger vesse l owners and persons with disabilities, has an opportunity to develop creative solutions to the numerous problems of vessel accessibility.