The W.K. Kellogg Foundation Access to Recreation grant program provided $15 million in funding to 36 recreation projects in four Midwestern states from 2006 to 2009. Projects were selected based on their concepts for embracing universal design, opportunity to facilitate inclusion of people of all abilities and opportunity to serve as an exemplar of universal design to community planners, recreation practitioners and advocates.  Over the summer of 2009, the National Center on Accessibility hosted three free 90-minute sessions.  The webinars presented an overview of the project concepts, the planning process, design decisions, construction issues, and fundraising. This was an excellent opportunity for professionals seeking the latest information on universal design trends specific to parks and recreation.

by Amy Shrake, National Center on Accessibility

In these times when resources are stretched, budgets are tight and agencies struggle with a laundry list of safety, accessibility, and maintenance projects, identifying funding for the projects can be one of the greatest challenges. Finding external funds can be a necessary component to many accessibility projects. Where internal funding may allow for the project to be completed at a minimum, external funds may bolster the project to provide optimal access for the widest spectrum of users through creative and innovative design. External funding may also allow for more projects to be completed in a more timely manner than waiting for each annual allocation where only the top priorities are scheduled. Securing funding sources can be a tedious task; however there are helpful resources that offer solutions to sometimes difficult to fund accessibility projects.

Findings from a new NCA research study.  The investigation is a query of experts in our field and a concensus on what they believe are the best practices for accessibility in parks and recreation.  The Executive Summary follows below.  A complimentary free copy of the Final Report (PDF) is available online through the Indiana University Scholar Works Repository.

The National Center on Accessibility has developed a one-hour e-course as an introduction to the principles of Universal Design for park and recreation practitioners. The free course is offered through the Eppley Institute for Parks and Public Lands online learning site: www.parktraining.org