PEORIA, Ill. – The owner of a Peoria hotel is paying restitution to the family of a youth with a disability, but isn’t admitting wrongdoing, after an alleged violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Peoria says they’ve reached a settlement with Mark Petersen and Petersen Hospitality Group over the issue, and among other things, will offer ADA training to employees.
It’s not clear when the violation might have happened, but U.S. attorneys say after reserving an accessible hotel room at the Hampton Inn at Grand Prairie, when the family went to check in, they were given a non-accessible room.
They were then told no accessible rooms were available, the hotel canceled the reservation, and said it couldn’t accept liability for someone with a disability. The family, traveling from out of town, say they then were left stranded.
“For many people with disabilities, the decision to travel is unfortunately fraught with uncertainty over many of life’s most basic necessities, such as whether they will have a place to sleep at night or be able to use the bathroom,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua I. Grant for the Central District of Illinois, in a news release. “The law protects people with disabilities who are traveling and requires that hotels provide equal access to their rooms and facilities. We appreciate the hotel’s prompt remedial action and encourage all hotels in the Central District of Illinois to train their staff regarding the ADA’s requirements.”
Petersen owns hotels in Peoria, Morton, and Monmouth, and is also behind the Petersen Healthcare group of regional nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
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