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Ongoing work to upgrade passenger ships to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act has created a specific need for expertise that spans land-based and maritime design regulations, according to Foreship.
If being able to use every amenity and attraction advertised is a justifiable expectation of any vacation, having the same opportunities as others to do so is also a right. Having access, freedom of movement and useable restroom facilities are now civil liberties for people with disabilities, as well as design principles for public spaces.
For the cruise industry, the most potent of regulation covering this area is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was revised in 2010 to include accessibility, signage, bathroom facilities, public areas and cabin features on board passenger ships. Its guidelines require the spaces and amenities guests encounter on board ships calling in the US are free of built-in discrimination.
Initially developed for buildings ashore, ADA applies to ships which also need to meet structural, fire zone and evacuation rules written into maritime law, and are designed with a different view of space limitations and interconnectedness. Owners must undertake remedial work if their ships fall short of ADA.
Adapting for ADA involves specific challenges, according to Benjamin Sward, President, Foreship LLC. The naval architecture and marine engineering firm has worked with multiple cruise ship owners on ADA, and across ships with very different proximities to ADA compliance.
“Applying ADA rules in can be challenging because they are land-based rules that do not necessarily reflect shipboard spaces,” says Sward. “Deck camber, for example, is a normal part of ship design that would not be acceptable on land.”
ADA scope
Foreship supports owners by developing technical solutions to bring public venues and ADA cabins into compliance. Considerations include: ramp access, turning space or easy counter/bar top access for wheelchair users; clear walkways and visual/tactile signage for visually impaired guests; and seating with knee clearance for users of mobility devices.
“Foreship takes care of the design, engineering and project management for ADA, which can include technical packages for refurbishing public spaces and installing LULA (limited use limited application) elevators,” says Sward.
In one project, Foreship completely redesigned 20 public restrooms to reflect ADA access requirements, says Sward. Accommodation designated for people with disabilities will also need to pass muster as either Ambulatory Access Cabins or in some cases Fully Accessible Cabins, he says.
“We are not certified ADA engineers as such, but years of experience working with the ADA rules means our team have acquired strong technical competence and familiarity with the requirements. In addition to design and technical support, we offer owner’s representation to liaise with authorities and class societies onsite during execution and throughout the project life-cycle.”
Foreship is one of very few companies which sees how different cruise lines approach ADA issues, which has brought additional insight into “what works well and what doesn’t”, adds Sward.
“Our team has also found this work personally inspiring after meeting several individuals who have been positively impacted by these changes and witnessing their benefits firsthand. On a recent cruise with my family, I met a man in a wheelchair who was enjoying the same venues with his children that I was sharing with my own family. As a father, that really struck a chord with me.”
In some cases, the need to undertake remedial work for ADA has also been taken as an opportunity by owners to accelerate refurbishment work that was already under consideration for an area of a ship.
“For the Foreship team on board, these types of projects can be especially enjoyable and motivating as they take us back to our roots in traditional refurbishment work while we’re also working towards a greater good,” says Sward.
