VOLUNTARY CODE OF PRACTICE FOR THE PROVISION OF FACILITIES FOR THE DEAF AND HEARING IMPAIRED

The intention is to promote the adoption of this code as quickly as possible over a 12 month period subject to negotiating the commercial agreements for the purchase of the large quantities of equipment envisaged and widely distributing the information about alternative sources of supply. The intention is to review this Code at the end of a three-year period. A working party will be established to represent the interests of the hearing impaired and the hotel, motel and serviced apartment industry for the purposes of monitoring the progress of this voluntary code of practice and any evolution or refinement necessary that becomes apparent prior to the three-year time frame for a formal review. The working party is to meet bi-annually.


All PROPERTIES

That all hotels, motels, and serviced apartments who are members of the HMAA will provide hearing access facilities and special services to guests as follows:

* Ensure appropriate means in place to ensure that all Deaf and hearing impaired guests and staff will be alerted to any danger (e.g. fire, bomb threat), and to any drill or system test, within the premises at the same time as all other guests and staff. (Registration card to include “If you are likely to have any difficulty hearing alarms, or evacuating the building in the event of an alarm, please tick this box.”)
* Provide a telephone with built in or clip on amplifier, telecoil coupler and flashing light alert
* Will be provided with minimum specifications for the purchase of new telephones which will include a built in or clip on amplifier, telecoil coupler and flashing light alert and all properties replacing or purchasing telephones will, whenever possible and practical, adopt this new standard.
* Provide a television capable of accessing free to air captioning.
* Where pay TV access is provided, ensure that available captioning may be accessed.
* Will be provided with minimum specifications for the purchase of new televisions which will include the provision for captioning and all properties replacing or purchasing televisions will, whenever possible and practical, adopt this new minimum standard.
* Ensure that all TV signals carrying captioning are not stripped of captioning by pay movie or pay TV equipment




PROPERTIES IN EXCESS OF 50 ROOMS

For all properties with 50 or more guest rooms, one piece of each of the following items of equipment will be available without notice at the time of check in. For all properties with 100 rooms or more two such sets of equipment will be available without notice. All properties will undertake to make additional kits available with 48 hours notice. All properties will co-operate with each other in the loan of equipment to nearby properties when additional units are required.

* A portable non-audible door alarm.
* A television capable of accessing free to air captioning.
* A telephone with built in or clip on amplifier, telecoil coupler and flashing light alert.
* A text telephone or access to email.
* A vibrating alarm clock.




PROPERTIES WITH MEETING ROOMS

Those properties that provide meeting rooms in excess of 100 sqm will ensure that they can provide functioning assistive listening systems (ALS) to enable all participants in events in all function or meeting rooms to clearly hear all speakers without reverberation or background noise. These might be Induction Loop (IL), Frequency Modulated (FM), or Infrared (IR) systems.




INDUSTRY EDUCATION & CONSUMER AWARENESS

* The industry will list on association web sites those member properties who have acquired the necessary equipment to fully comply with the above voluntary code. The industry will promote the use of the International Symbol for Deafness (a registered trademark in Australia, held by the Deafness Forum Limited) for the provision of facilities for the hearing impaired in appropriate national directories, which already display symbols for special facilities of various types.
* Establishments which provide a guest services compendium or similar in-room directory will include a section which details the facilities available for the Deaf or hearing impaired at that particular property, including the willingness to rent additional equipment with 48 hours notice if the initial guaranteed on-site units are already in use.
* The industry will ensure that an education program is conducted to inform all members of the special needs of the Deaf and hearing impaired and to promote the understanding of the type of equipment needed, the use of the equipment and the special care to be taken in emergency situations.

http://www.deafnessforum.org.au/index.php?q=accessible-accomodation