Hotel Adaptation for Travellers with Disabilities (TWD): A Design Oriented Analysis

 

ABSTRACT The rapid growth of the elderly population coupled with the a socially responsible approach to ensure equal service and quality of life for people with disabilities (PwD), has triggered a global attempt to adapt hotels to the emerging needs of these populations. The purpose of this study is to analyze the legal requirements vs. reality in hotels from an interior design perspective. Specifically, the study attempts to illustrate how the interior designs of hotels may be planned in order to guarantee accessibility for people with diverse disabilities including those using crutches or walkers, wheelchair users, the visually challenged and the hearing impaired. The study’s results indicate that many hotels modify their interior designs for the sake of appearances but, in fact, such adjustments are not suitable for PwD. Moreover, such interior design modifications may trigger negative attitudes on the part of PwD, increasing feelings of societal marginalization. The study is based on the analysis of several hotels in the popular resort city of Antalya, Turkey.