[Blind-rollers] searching for an accessible hotel

[Becky Frankeberger]

Searching for a hotel for disabled travelers just got easier.

Expedia.com and its subsidiary Hotels.com have rolled out new search tools 
that allow travelers with disabilities to find and book lodgings that 
feature bathrooms for the handicapped, roll-in showers and Braille signage.

The new feature comes in response to a lawsuit filed by disabled customers 
who alleged that Hotels.com refused to guarantee wheelchair-accessible 
reservations.  In 2009, the company agreed to improve access as part of a 
settlement.

While Expedia.com says it now lists more than 15,000 hotels with amenities 
for disabled guests, the search tool is not exactly user-friendly.  On 
Hotels.com, for example, users must first conduct a general search - and 
then 
filter those results by checking off accessibility preferences, such as "
roll-in shower" and "handicapped parking."

"I think the design could be better, but it's a start," said Andrew Pray, 
a spokesman for Hotels.com. "It meets a need that was not there."
 

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