In reviewing the ADA proposed guidelines for large passenger vessels I find no mention of access areas for entertainment such as the large show areas that often encompass two decks. While allowing access to the upper lever designated area in the rear many ships have only one row level behind high bars that limit the viewing of the stage. Access should be provided on each deck in the show room in areas provided for other passengers, with clear views.
Access on boarding ramps has been a problem on many ship getting on and off due to their narrow width using a standard light weight 18" Quickie Two chair .
We have found that access to life boats for wheelchairs seems to have poor planning. This should be covered atthe time of the required life boat drills on each voyage. On most ships the Captain will designate which ports will have wheelchair access by tenders ashore. In some cases this has been designated as no access to a port many days before arrrival and the the seas and weather would be no problem. We have also found that often the ship requires that wheelchair uses access tenders only after all the able-bodied passengers have left the ship. This limits our time ashore, and is does not constitute equal access.
We also find the term "wheelchair accessible" has little meaning to many concerned with the shore excursions sold by the cruise lines. The seem to think in many instances that the person can walk into a bus, "just up a step or two". They call a trip wheel chair accessible often when they do not provide any type of lift or other accessible device to get a wheelchair into the van or bus. They claim that they do not run the excursions and so are not accountable for accessibility, but often they get exclusion contracts with excursion providers, leaving no tours that can be booked privately. They sell these tours on both their websites and aboard their ships.
More control is needed to stop non-disabled persons from obtaining accessible cabins. Some persons bring a person on board with a wheel chair then never use it aboard. There is no penalty for a doctor to sign a letter for a passenger fraudulantly as exsists for disabled parking placards ashore.
We still take many cruises but now must take an another (third) person in the room to assist. Also some couples need to have a child in an accessable cablin. Some ships still have no accessaable cabins allowing a third or fourth person but have many in the regular cabins in all catagories. Accessable cabins should be found in each cabin catagory.
I hope these comments will be included in consideration of the development of the final cruise ship ADA standards.
Sincerely,
Charles E. Dunn
[address]
Redondo Beach, CA
90277