Kansas City Marriott Reaches Settlement with DOJ

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. October 14, 2008

WASHINGTON, DC, July 20, 2007. The Department of Justice today reached a comprehensive settlement agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with the Kansas City Downtown Hotel Group LLC that will ensure the facilities of the Kansas City Marriott are accessible to individuals with disabilities.

The agreement resolves a lawsuit against the Kansas City Marriott in Downtown Kansas City, Mo. - a large, two-tiered hotel complex that has both new and historic elements, 946 guest rooms, 36 suites, and a number of bars and restaurants. The agreement is the result of an investigation conducted after the Justice Department received a complaint from an individual who alleged that certain features of the hotel were not readily accessible.

"Making this nation's hotels accessible for travelers with disabilities has been a priority for the Civil Rights Division," said Wan J. Kim, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division. "A 2005 study shows that more than 21 million adults with disabilities traveled at least once in the preceding two year period and that half of these adults stayed in hotels while traveling. We will continue to work cooperatively with hotels to ensure that travelers with disabilities will find accessible hotel rooms across the country."

Under the agreement, the Kansas City Downtown Hotel Group, LLC will:

---| Create accessible guest rooms in all classes of sleeping accommodations at the hotel.

---| Provide an accessible counter at the front desk.

---| Ensure that guests who are deaf are provided with a communication kit with visual notification devices.

---| Ensure that the 12th Street Pub in the Marriott Tower is accessible.

---| Provide house and pay telephones in the lobby that are equipped with volume control and are hearing aid compatible.

---| Provide a TTY at the front registration desk, as well as signage to indicate its availability.

Title III of the ADA applies to private entities such as hotels and restaurants and, among other things, requires that such entities build their facilities so that they are accessible to persons with disabilitie in compliance with the ADA Standards for Accessible Design and that they do discriminate against guests on the basis of disability. People interested in finding out more about the ADA or these agreements can call the Justice Department's toll-free ADA Information Line at 1-800-514-0301 or 1-800-514-0383 (TTY), or access the ADA Web site at http://www.ada.gov.