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April 2005 News
NCA Submits Comment to DOJ on Proposed Rulemaking
The National Center on Accessibility has submitted comments to the U.S. Department of Justice on the Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPRM) to begin the process of revising the ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG). NCA has provided comment to DOJ on playgrounds, golf course, swimming pools and other recreation facility and policy issues. Read NCA Comments >>
January 2005 News
DOJ Seeks Public Comment on Revision to Design Standards
Through May 31, 2005, people with disabilities and practitioners affected by the Americans with Disabilities Act can provide input to the U.S. Department of Justice on the proposed revision of the current ADA design standards. For park and recreation professionals this is another opportunity to comment on design standards and policy issues related to accessing recreation facilities like swimming pools, golf courses, playgrounds, amusement rides, fitness facilities and sports complexes. Full story >>
October 2004 News
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| (left to right): Dave Park, Accessibility Management Program Manager; Tim Harvey, Team Leader for Asset Management;
Dale Wilking, Division Chief; Donald Murphy, Deputy Director; David Gallahue, Dean of School of Health, Physical Education and
Recreation at Indiana University, and Tom Healy, Vice President of Government Relations, Indiana University. |
IU Presents NPS with Partnership Award
On October 28, Indiana University presented the National Park Service with a special partnership award. The award
recognized the NPS Park Facility Management Division for its creative partnerships with the National Center on
Accessibility and Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands promoting programs of education, research and technical assistance. The award was presented by Tom
Healy, IU Vice President of Government Relations, on behalf of the School of Physical Education and Recreation. NPS
Deputy Director Donald Murphy was in Bloomington to accept the award and provide a guest lecture to university students and faculty on ethics and
environment. The NPS partnership with NCA dates back to 1992, when the NPS helped to establish NCA via a cooperative
agreement between the federal land management agency and IU, one of the premiere park and recreation administration graduate and undergraduate programs in
the country. In 2002-2003 alone, NCA provided training, technical assistance and consultation to more than 224 NPS
personnel representing more than 74 parks and facilities in the NPS system.
May 2004 News
Making A Splash:
Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Aquatic Venues
Just in time for summer water fun, NCA has released a new monograph on the inclusion of people with disabilities in aquatic facilities. This online monograph discusses some of the major considerations for the successful inclusion of people with disabilities at aquatic facilities including visitor expectations, accessibility guidelines for swimming pools, considerations for aquatic staff, policies and procedures, family restrooms, pool lifts, aquatic chairs and water slides. Be sure to check out the video clips. More »
March 2004 News
Discover Camp! Web Site Launched
Discover Camp! is a new on-line resource for parents of children
with disabilities sending their child to camp for the first time.
The guide answers questions from selecting a camp, to considerations
for attending open houses and meeting with camp staff. Discover
Camp! also links to a database of camps accredited by the American
Camping Association. Discover Camp! was created by the National
Center on Accessibility in collaboration with Bradford Wood Outdoor
Center. During the 2002 camp season, Recreation Therapy interns
at Bradford Woods interviewed parents of first-time campers and
returning campers. More
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Trail Accessibility Protocol Development
Indiana University
National Center on Accessibility
Request for Proposal
Indiana University (IU) is requesting proposals from
firms interested in preparing protocols for conducting research
on accessible trail surfaces. This project is overseen by the
National Center on Accessibility at Indiana University Bloomington.
The intent of this Request for Proposal (RFP) and the ensuing
process is to provide companies with the information, requirements,
and specifications necessary for the preparation of a professional
and comprehensive proposal. Specific terms and conditions are
outlined.
The RFP is available from Indiana University's Purchasing Department
and may be received by contacting:
Jennifer Foutty
Purchasing Contract Manager
Indiana University
400 East Seventh Street, Room 416
Bloomington, Indiana 47405
Voice: 812.855.5037
Fax: 812.855.7839
E-mail: jfoutty@indiana.edu
The final response to the RFP is due February 27, 2004.
Three New Monographs Available
The National Center on Accessibility has published a series of
monographs for assistance to park and recreation professionals
planning improvements to program and facility access. The three
newest monographs:
July 2003 News
Access Today,
Summer Edition
The Summer 2003 Edition of Access Today is hot off the press.
Articles include: research update on assistive devices for beach
access, new distance learning programs, handheld captioning introduced
at Walt Disney World Resorts, and a product review of the Ramp
Rider.
June 2003 News
New Webcast on Recreation Rule
Spring is in the air and that means that park and recreation professionals
are gearing up for the busy season by making improvements to facilities
and programs. When working on sports facilities, golf courses
and miniature golf courses, amusement rides, boating and fishing
facilities, and swimming pools, be sure that you have the latest
information on the Final Rule Accessibility Guidelines for Recreation
Facilities (issued by the U.S. Access Board, September 2002).
To highlight the new rule, NCA has produced a video stream webcast
with Peggy Greenwell and Bill Botten of the U.S. Access Board.
The video stream program can be viewed with Real Player. The webcast
is funded in part by the National Center on Physical Activity
and Disability and the National Park Service. More»
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| Handheld Captioning System introduced by Walt
Disney Resorts. |
Disney Introduces Handheld Captioning System
Are you looking for creative ways to caption moving interpretive
programs, check out the new Handheld Captioning System introduced
by Walt Disney World Resorts in this month's feature column Making
the Grade. More»
May 2003 News
Discover Camp!
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The National Center on Accessibility has partnered with Bradford
Woods and the National Center on Physical Activity and Disability
to publish a new booklet for parents of children with disabilities
and/or chronic illnesses selecting a camp for their child for
the first time. The 26-page booklet includes considerations and
questions for parents to use during the camp selection process.
Throughout the summer of 2002, Bradford Woods camp staff interviewed
parents of children with disabilities sending their children to
camp for the first time as well as parents of children with disabilities
returning to camp for a second, third, fourth, or even tenth season.
The information presented in the guide is based on interviews
with parents and the camp staff's experiences with planning camp
programs for children with and without disabilities, working with
parents sending their children to camp for the first time, answering
their questions, addressing their concerns, and calming their
fears.
Discover Camp is available through the National
Center on Physical Activity and Disability to parents,
hospitals, and resource organizations.
April 2003 News
NCA & DBTAC's partner for recreation
workshop
In April, the National Center on Accessibility hosted the 10
regional Disability
and Business Technical Assistance Centers for a workshop
on recreation access in Indianapolis and at Bradford Woods. The
workshop was designed to give DBTAC trainers and technical assistance
specialists the latest information on critical issues and trends
faced by park and recreation providers. Sessions topics included
access to golf, swimming pools, playgrounds, amusement rides,
beaches, trails, campgrounds and picnic areas. NCA instructors
toured DBTAC staffers through Bradford Woods to discuss the application
of proposed accessibility guidelines in outdoor developed areas
and see some of the unique features of Bradford Woods including
the universally designed amphitheater and challenge course. The
workshop concluded with a productive discussion on opportunities
for collaboration between NCA and the DBTAC's to further awareness
on the unique issues surrounding access to recreation environments.
Ray Bloomer gives keynote address
at Midewst Symposium
On April 28, Ray Bloomer, NCA Director of Education and Technical
Assistance, provided the keynote address at the annual Midwest
Symposium on Therapeutic Recreation. Bloomer, an NPS employee
on detail to NCA, has been an advocate for the inclusion of people
with disabilities in parks and recreation for more than 30 years.
NCA launches new web site
We have spent the last several months re-engineering the NCA web
site to provide you with the most up-to-date resources for including
people with disabilities in all facets of parks, recreation and
tourism. Some of the new features to the NCA web site include:
- Monographs on trails, beaches, campgrounds, picnic areas and
more. More»
- Updated listing of products to optimize access in recreation
environments and considerations for purchases.
More»
- New accessible features coded within these web pages to
enhance usability for people with disabilities visiting this
site with adaptive technologies. More»
If you haven't already, consider subscribing to the NCA-News
listserv for e-mail updates on status of rulemaking, training
opportunities, new resource information and more. We hope you
find the newly designed NCAONLINE to be a useful resource tool.
We welcome your feedback and comments to nca@indiana.edu.
- Gary Robb, Executive Director
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