Most Hawaii hotels will not meet a federal deadline Thursday that requires all public pools over 300 feet to be accessible to people with disabilities. The rule also applies to private hotel and community associations. 

Hawaii Hotel & Lodging Association president Mufi Hannemann told Hawaii News Now that most Hawaii hotels are having a tough time getting the necessary equipment (it’s on backorder) and won’t be ready in time:

“There’s consultants to hire, there’s engineers to hire, there’s permits to have to obtain,” Hannemann said. “All those things are going to make it very difficult to go through.”

The Department of Justice announced the rule change in 2010, but hotel industry lobbyists have been trying to convince Congress to relax the rules.