Cruises

In the ongoing passenger vessel rulemaking process, the US Access Board recently released the public comments they received regarding the proposed guidelines for passenger vessels (cruise ships). The comments make interesting reading and they are available at www.access-board.gov/pvaac/comments/index.htm.

I was thrilled to discover that many people responded to my "32-inches or bust" campaign, and wrote the Access Board to request that all staterooms (not just the accessible ones) be required to have 32-inch wide doorways.

In reading the comments I was also pleased to find more responses from travelers than from members of the cruise industry. Aside from 32-inch doorways on all cabins, another recurring theme was the need for more accessible cabins. Unfortunately some people said there needed to be more high-end accessible cabins, while an equal number noted that there needed to be more low-end accessible cabins. Perhaps this just goes to illustrate the diversity of the cruising public.

A few people noted the need for dedicated accessible elevators, while others asked the Access Board to require the cruise lines to obtain documentation (of disability) from passengers who book accessible cabins. I think the latter suggestion probably goes outside the scope of the guidelines, however it does illustrate a growing frustration among disabled passengers.

Of course there were also a few odd comments. One respondent stated that 32-inch doorways were too narrow and that the standard should be 34-inches instead. That one puzzled me because the ADAAG standard has long been 32-inches. Additionally, one person who entirely missed the point of the assignment wrote in to ask why airplanes were not included in the proposed guidelines; but for the most part the comments were well-reasoned and insightful.

As I said before, these guidelines will affect you, so it's important for everyone to participate. The good news is, you still have until July 28, 2005 to get your comments to the US Access Board.

It's easy to do.

Just e-mail your comments to pvag@access-board.gov. It's also important to note that e-mail comments will only be considered if they contain the full name and address of the sender in the text.

You can also check out my comments at www.access-board.gov/pvaac/comments/emerging-horizons.htm.

And don't forget -- "32-inches or bust"!