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DOJ Issues Revised ADA Regulations for Title II and III

Submitted by Anonymous on August 27, 2010 - 12:55pm.
In July, during the 20th anniversary celebration of the Americans with Disabilities Act, President Obama announced the U.S. Department of Justice has issued final regulations revising Title II and III, including the ADA Standards for Accessible Design. These regulations will be published in the Federal Register. 
 
SUMMARY OF CHANGES:
 
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Access Today: June/July 2010

Submitted by Anonymous on July 1, 2010 - 2:06pm.
Park and Recreation Professionals Gather to Discuss Accessibility Management 

Hugh Osborne (center), Community Planner for the National Park Service, discusses trail slope issues with training course attendees during the field exercise.More than 35 park and recreation professionals from throughout the United States gathered in Portland, June 22-25, to attend training on Accessibility Management in Parks and Recreation hosted by the National Center on Accessibility. NCA instructors provided an overview of the federal regulations under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Training attendees were able to apply new information on the ADA-ABA Accessibility Guidelines, the principles of universal design, proposed guidelines for outdoor developed areas, and program access during a field exercise to the Tualatin Hills Nature Park. The Accessibility Management course continues to be NCA’s most popular training program specifically designed for accessibility coordinators. Look for the course to be scheduled again in Spring 2011. 

NCA Conducts Accessibility Assessments of National Parks in Pacific Northwest

While in the Pacific Northwest this June, NCA conducted comprehensive physical and programmatic accessibility assessments of Fort Vancouver National Historic Site (Vancouver, WA) and Klondike Gold Rush (Seattle, WA). Assessments of the parks are a new project between NCA and the National Park Service Accessibility Management Program where 40 small, non-fee national parks will be assessed over the next two years. NCA staff has developed quite the expertise in park assessments following on the heels of a 12-park pilot assessment project with the National Park Service and other special projects such as

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ADA 20th Anniversary: Ode to the Digital Level and Other Tools of the “Accessiologist” Trade

Submitted by Anonymous on July 1, 2010 - 1:34pm.
by Jennifer Skulski
 
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Frequently Asked Questions on the Development of a Field Test Method for Measuring the Firmness and Stability of Surface Systems

Submitted by Anonymous on June 30, 2010 - 8:58am.

Prepared by the National Center on Accessibility
June 2010

In 2005, a task group within the American Society of Testing and Materials (ASTM) F08.63 Subcommittee on Playground Surfaces began working on the development of a test method to objectively measure firmness and stability of surfaces systems as related to accessible routes on playgrounds. This test method can be used  by playground owners, facility managers and others  as a method for measuring firmness and stability of surfaces. The following FAQ’s have been prepared by the National Center on Accessibility to provide background  information to playground owners, recreation practitioners, and others  about the field test method for measuring surface firmness and stability.

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Access Today: May 2010

Submitted by Anonymous on May 5, 2010 - 12:53pm.
Trail Planners and Builders Discuss Outdoor Access at NCA 21st Century Trails Workshop
 
NCA training course participants inspect the trail surfaces installed at Bradford Woods that are part of the NCA research study.Trail planners, builders and coordinators from land management agencies around the country participated in NCA’s 21st Century Trails Workshop last week. The 2-day experiential workshop was held at Bradford Woods amidst some of central Indiana’s most beautiful weather and springtime foliage. Bill Botten, U.S. Access Board, presented an overview of the draft accessibility guidelines for outdoor developed areas. Patti Longmuir, PEL Consulting, presented sessions on trail construction and considerations to plan universally designed and sustainable trails. Participants commented:
 
“[It was] very beneficial to get ‘hands on’ application practice and go through real world problem solving.”
 
“I now have ideas for both park district situations, museums, historical areas, zoos and nature areas.”
 
“The presentations were great and informative, but the site visits were the most helpful. Being able to physically practice what is preached is invaluable. Even better was to be able to work with staff that used and needed accessible facilities, units, and trails.”
 
The next NCA training program, Accessibility Management in Parks and Recreation, is scheduled for June 22-25 in Portland. 2.4 CEU's.
 
DOJ Sends ADA Revisions to OMB for Final Approval
 
On April 26, the Office of Management and Budget received the Final Rule for revisions to Titles II and III of the Americans with Disabilities Act slated to be released by the U.S. Department of Justice. Review by OMB is considered one of the last steps before the final rule can be issued. Typically OMB has 90 days to approve the rule or send it back to the issuing agency with questions or further direction. At the earliest, this could suggest enforceable updates to Title II and III could be released in sync with the 20th anniversary of the ADA in July. DOJ rulemaking revisions to Title II and III date back to 2004. For park and recreation practitioners,

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Access Today: March/April 2010

Submitted by Anonymous on March 17, 2010 - 10:20am.
NCA training course participants inspect the tactile 3-dimensional map at the Alamo in San Antonio.Interpreters, Planners & Designers Gather in San Antonio for NCA Training
 
Professionals from throughout the United States, and as far away as Guam, traveled to San Antonio last week for NCA’s Universal Approach to Interpretive Programs, Planning and Design. NCA instructors were joined by guest instructors Beth Ziebarth, Accessibility Coordinator at the Smithsonian Institution, and Betty Siegel, Accessibility Coordinator at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. Participants were able to apply their new knowledge during field visits to the Alamo and the San Antonio Children’s Museum.
 
Trails Training Set for Bradford Woods
 
Spring is in the air in Indiana and NCA instructors are hard at work preparing for our 21st Century Trails Symposium at Bradford Woods. Bill Botten, U.S. Access Board, will be making presentations on the new Draft Final Guidelines for Outdoor Developed Areas. Participants will also have the opportunity to tour Bradford Woods,

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Access Board Issues Draft Final Rule for Outdoor Developed Areas

Submitted by Anonymous on January 25, 2010 - 6:09pm.

by Jennifer Skulski

Accessibility guidelines for outdoor developed areas managed by federal agencies are one step closer to becoming standards. On October 19, 2009, the U.S. Access Board released the Draft Final Accessibility Guidelines for Federal Outdoor Areas covered by the Architectural Barriers Act.

This draft marks another milestone of more than 15 years of work by the Access Board and vested stakeholders including regulatory negotiation in 1999. The issuance of this draft document brings the adoption of accessibility guidelines for outdoor developed areas closer to finalization and implementation under the Architectural Barriers Act. It further defines accessibility considerations for outdoor recreation environments and provides needed guidance to land managers on minimum standards to design for the inclusion of people with disabilities in these outdoor environments.

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NCA Seeks Land Managers with Trails to Participate in National Study

Submitted by Anonymous on January 7, 2010 - 12:18pm.
The National Center on Accessibility is seeking land managers with pedestrian trails in public parks, forests, lands, and other recreation areas to participate in a national study on the accessibility of various types of soil stabilization products. This is the second of a four phase national trails study conducted by the National Center on Accessibility at Indiana University with support from the U.S. Access Board.
 

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Ray Bloomer Honored with NPS Accessibility Achievement Award

Submitted by Anonymous on January 4, 2010 - 1:35pm.

On October 22, 2009 Ray Bloomer, NCA Director of Education and Technical Assistance, was presented with the 2009 Accessibility Leadership Achievement Award. The award, which is given to an individual or team whose active leadership has resulted in improved accessibility within the National Park System (NPS) for persons with disabilities; has increased visibility for the issue of accessibility in the parks; or has provided policy development and implementation recognizes Ray’s outstanding dedication and leadership in ensuring that accessibility and universal design are major considerations for NPS facilities and programs. “I was very surprised and very honored,” comments Bloomer.

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A2R Webinar Archives

Submitted by Anonymous on September 11, 2009 - 11:11am.

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. The series was sponsored by the Michigan Recreation and Park Association Foundation.
 
Playgrounds
 
Boating & Fishing
 
Interpretive Trails

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