Handicap Accessibility in Hotels

I am all for buildings becoming more handicap accessible. However, I have noticed recently that the use of the word "accessible" does not translate to a hotel actually being accessible to the handicap. My family and I recently went on a vacation, and I noticed a few things in the hotels we stayed in. My family is used to booking handicap accessible rooms since my dad is wheelchair bound. Most handicapped rooms in hotels that I have stayed in are not on the first floor, which raises a concern of what might happen in an emergency. Although it may not be an issue for the disabled who are still able to walk on their own, it would be a huge problem for people like my dad who are partially paralyzed or completely paralyzed from the waist down. Hotels do not hesitate to mention that in the case of a fire, they shut down elevators throughout the hotel and guests would be instructed to stairs. This would mean that people who are staying in these handicapped rooms that are on the second, third, and fourth floors would have no way to escape a fire emergency. So, I have always wondered why this has not raised a safety concern amongst the society. What do people expect to happen in case of a fire? Do they want people to leave their handicapped friends or family in a dangerous situation and hope that firefighters get there in time to rescue them? What if firefighters don't make it in time? I feel as though it would be much safer to replace current rooms that may be on the first floor such as regular rooms and conference rooms with a bunch of handicap accessible rooms because more people would be likely to be able to get out of the building in case of emergency. Another thing that I have noticed is the lack of space in some of the rooms. As I said before, my dad is in a wheelchair and a few times we have had to physically move furniture in order to create enough space for his wheelchair to fit, so he can go to bed. Luckily, we are there to move things for him, but if a disabled person came alone, it would be difficult for them to get around. The last thing that I have noticed is the bathroom. Besides the space sometimes being a problem, the shower can also be difficult. Most hotel showers in a handicapped rooms come with a shower chair. However, the shower head is above a bathtub, rather than a flat surface, which makes it impossible for a wheelchair to get close enough for an easy transfer. It is possible to transfer someone into a bathtub, but it becomes a multi-person job. Senator Tammy Duckworth told the concierge at the recent hotel we stayed at about her concerns of the lack of accessibility for the handicapped and years later, the hotel has not changed anything. With the many dangers these issues could present, it is vital that something be done to lower the risk for the handicapped to leave their house and stay in a hotel.