I  am a right leg below knee amputee.

What can I do for a handicapped access room and what services are available for Gencon.  Last year I got a sticker for my badge but no one really seemed to honor it at the food trucks or in the dealers room.   ON the first day I did get in early  by a couple of moments so I didnt get run over by the crowds.  And I was happy to get that.  Not complaining, just want to be able to sit or just have somebody come get me when my turn in line comes ujp 

Years ago, the ADA rooms were kept separate, and you would call to get one. They stopped that for some reason.  

ADA ACCESSIBLE ROOM REQUESTS

ADA-compliant Accessible rooms can now be requested when selecting rooms within the online housing portal, and on opening day all users are required to select rooms using the online housing portal. Once a hotel and room have been selected for check-out the system will prompt the user to enter guest information. Guests desiring a disability-compliant Accessible room should select the “Accessible” checkbox located below the guest information fields to place a request.

Within two weeks of housing registration opening, Q-rooms will review the Accessible room requests on file and confirm availability with hotels. As Accessible room assignments are confirmed, guests will receive updated acknowledgments indicating change of assignment from a standard room type to Accessible room type (e.g. standard double/double to Accessible double/double).In the event Accessible room requests exceed the capacity of a particular hotel, Q-rooms will fulfill the Accessible room requests in the order the room requests were assigned by the online registration system. Q-rooms will address any shortages by soliciting alternative Accessible rooms at comparable nearby hotels and obtaining guest consent prior to changing their assignment to one of the Accessible rooms available.

Important: Federal ADA legislation requires all hotels to meet minimum accessibility requirements, and hotel location is not applicable to ADA criteria. Requesting an Accessible room in the Gen Con block has no bearing on hotel location relative to the convention center and does not improve one’s chances of obtaining a downtown room assignment. 

Thanks for the info

So it made it too easy for people to claim they needed a DT room that was set aside for ADA, when they really didn't qualify for the need. Just them wanting a DT room.

Many hotels do have ADA rooms. At this time, best you really can do is once the reservations head over to the various hotels, July 14. Contact the hotel directly and request that your room be a ADA room if they can.

Disclaimer: I'm not directly affected by this issue and therefore my understanding of its nuances is limited.

Why isn't there a means to verify that someone is entitled to an accessible room (and other accessible services)?

I mean, I understand squirecam wrote above that it's against the law and being somewhat unfamiliar with US privacy law, I accept that at face value.

But why? It's acceptable to require such proof for accessible parking spaces in the form of a permit. It's acceptable (at least as far as I understand it) to challenge a service animal owner and ask to see the animal's certification. It's even acceptable to ask for ID before allowing a senior's discount at a restaurant or movie theater. It seems to me these are all privacy issues in the same vein as an ADA hotel room.

It just seems to me that if there were a certification or permit equivalent to that used for simple parking enforcement, it would (probably dramatically) reduce the number of people who would cheat the system. Then, ADA rooms *could* be reserved for those who genuinely need them.

Lets put it this way. My dad is disabled, has a parking permit. I could create an account under his name, use his permit, and credit card to book the room. Whats stopping me?

To that, by law hotels have to keep ADA rooms set aside until all other rooms are booked, then they can sell those rooms to people who don't really need them. The way we do mass booking, it will use those rooms too. But 3rd party sites like we use don't fall under the law of ADA marking of rooms. They don't have to, it's the hotels responsibility.

You can call the hotel after booking and request your room be a ADA room. And to that, there is a little power on your side. If you do book an ADA room and the accessible room you reserved is not available, for whatever reason, the hotel should move you (at their cost) to a nearby property that can provide a room to meet your needs.

Well, the hotel might ask you to send documentation when booking (kinda like Gen Con asks for documentation when you buy a Trade Day badge). But more likely, the hotel would have a policy along the lines of "valid <insert permit name here> required at check-in. If permit is not presented at check-in, the reservation may be cancelled at the hotel's discretion".

As for what's stopping you from doing as you described? Ideally, your father would stop you since he's responsible for his permit. Barring that, you'd be risking identity fraud charges, especially if you tried to check in with his permit and/or credit card.

As for the rest, I understand that's how it currently works. I just think there must be a better way.

Uh, FYI. Service animals do not require federal papers. 
none what so ever. 
You are required to take the owners word. 
also, if your conscience doesn’t stop you, please note that not all disabilities look alike. And some people travel with helpers. Who will happily question your presence in a room that would make their charges life easier. 
 

Service Animals under the ADA
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) defines "service animals" under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) as "dogs that are individually trained to do work or perform tasks for people with disabilities."

When it is not apparent as to why the person need the animal, the DOJ allows 2 questions:

1. Is the dog a service animal required because of a disability?