DOT Making it Harder for Able-Bodied to Book Accessible Cabins!

[Bloodgem]

11 hours ago, chengkp75 said:

Actually, the ADA does apply to foreign flag cruise ships, that home port out of the US.  This is because the ships are essentially "selling" accommodations in the US, and must meet certain aspects of the ADA.  The ships are not required to have a set number of accessible cabins, unlike US hotels, even despite the DOJ settlement with Carnival a couple years ago, but as someone else pointed out, they voluntarily designate some cabins as accessible, and these must meet the ADA requirements.  However, the SCOTUS has ruled, in Spector v. NCL, that the ADA does not apply to foreign flag cruise ships, when it comes to the ship's "internal policies and procedures".  The documentation of medical need for an accessible cabin falls under this umbrella of "internal policies", and even the DOT rulings mentioned in the beginning of this thread are not completely binding.

 

As for the poster who resurrected this thread, SCOTUS ruled that unless Congress amends the ADA to specifically mention foreign flag cruise ships, then the ADA does not fully apply.  This ruling was made in 2004, and Congress has not seen fit to make any effort to amend the ADA over the last 14 years, so I doubt it will ever happen.  And, as far as applying "the same rules outside of US ports", that just shows the proclivity of US citizens to believe that their laws do, or should, apply to them everywhere in the world, and that is what makes the rest of the world hate us.  If you want full protection of US laws, then vote with your wallet, and only sail on US flag cruise ships, or petition Congress to make all ships that home port in the US be US flag.  Otherwise, realize that the rest of the world does not follow US laws, and "when in Rome" Rome's laws apply.

Thank you for explaining. 

[mistshar]

I don't know about other states but Arkansas has it on our driver's license when we are disabled.  They could just look at that and know that you have a disablity.

[GUT2407]

3 hours ago, mistshar said:

I don't know about other states but Arkansas has it on our driver's license when we are disabled.  They could just look at that and know that you have a disablity.

Does the license give any indication as to the type of disability.

[mistshar]

No, it doesn't.  It is actually to acknowledge who has the disabled license plate.

[GUT2407]

14 hours ago, mistshar said:

No, it doesn't.  It is actually to acknowledge who has the disabled license plate.

Thank you, so another question, do you need to provide seperate evidence or is it the same as getting the plate?