Raleigh, N.C., is committed to making our area fully accessible to as many visitors as possible. All hospitality partners—hotels, restaurants, attractions, venues, retailers and transportation companies—are encouraged to provide stellar customer service to visitors with disabilities.

One of the projects on the priority list for the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau is to increase awareness and services for visitors with disabilities across Wake County, an initiative called “All Access Wake County.”

The project purposes:

• to educate and train Wake County hospitality partners with information they can use immediately and long-term to provide effective servicing to guests with accessibility challenges;
• to call partners to do more than the minimum, more than the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires, to provide genuine hospitality to those with disabilities; and
• to make Wake County accessible to all visitors, regardless of their ability level.

With that in mind, here are some featured resources for Wake County hospitality partners:

ADA Live!
ADA Live! is a monthly show broadcast nationally free on the Internet. Ask questions and learn about your rights and responsibilities under the ADA.

Alliance of Disability Advocates
Alliance of Disability Advocates/Center for Independent Living (Alliance) is committed to helping people with disabilities live independently and become productive, full participants in society. The entire staff and board, most of whom have disabilities, support people with disabilities in their efforts toward such life-affirming goals.

Arts Access, Inc.
Arts Access is North Carolina’s only non-profit dedicated solely to making the arts accessible to people with disabilities. People of all abilities can learn through, participate in and enjoy the arts. By bridging arts and disability, Arts Access programs and services work to educate arts providers and promote inclusive spaces and accessible opportunities for North Carolinians with disabilities.

Autism Society of North Carolina
The Autism Society of North Carolina improves the lives of individuals with autism, supports their families and educates communities.

Disability Rights North Carolina
Disability Rights North Carolina advances and defends the rights of people with disabilities.

North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities (NCCDD)
NCCDD has 40 members appointed by the governor of which 60 percent are required to be people with intellectual or other developmental disabilities. The council meets quarterly and oversees both the provisions of the Developmental Disabilities Assistance and Bill of Rights Act (DD Act) and to assure the Council is a member-driven, effective, efficient organization.

North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
The Department of Health and Human Services manages the delivery of health- and human-related services for all North Carolinians, especially our most vulnerable citizens – children, elderly, disabled and low-income families. The department works closely with health care professionals, community leaders and advocacy groups; local, state and federal entities; and many other stakeholders to make this happen.

North Carolina Division of Services for the Blind
The Division of Services for the Blind provides services to people who are visually impaired, blind and deaf-blind to help them reach their goals of independence and employment.

North Carolina Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing 
The Division of Services for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing works to ensure that all Deaf, Hard of Hearing, or Deaf-Blind North Carolinians have the ability to communicate their needs and to receive information easily and effectively in all aspects of their lives, especially their health and well-being.

Southeast ADA Center
The Southeast ADA Center is a leader in providing information, training and guidance on the ADA and disability access tailored to the needs of business, government and individuals at local, state and regional levels. 

Resources specific to the hospitality sector:

Hospitality and Disability
The ADA National Network launched this Initiative to promote accessibility and opportunity for people with disabilities within the hospitality industry. Materials and services are also designed to assist lodging and food service employers recruit, hire, and retain qualified workers with disabilities.

American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute's Elements of Service
This training program provides all hospitality professionals from top to bottom with the tools they need to make sure a property’s interactions with people with disabilities are positive ones.

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Resources from All Access Wake County event:
Nov. 18, 2019

About the Americans with Disabilities Act :: Karen Hamilton

ADA Resources  |  Quick Tips and Tax Incentives

 |  Southeast ADA Center

This article was published in Visit Raleigh on 11/18/2019.