Accessible Parks
Provide Spring Time Fun
by Jane Hampton, CID, Access Specialist
Dear Jane,
Now that spring
has arrived, my family is anxious to go and search out new parks.
Since one of our children has a disability,
we are looking for parks that have accessible play areas. Any suggestions?
Natalie, Chanhassen, MN
Dear Natalie,
Spring has definitely sprung, and after a long winter we all want
to take advantage of any opportunity to be outside.
Before I answer your question, here’s a little background on
society’s progress toward making parks accessible. In the last
six years, we have seen a big increase in the number of accessible
parks as cities and counties have made attempts to be inclusive in
the programs they offer. The most significant reason for the development
of accessible parks was implementation of the 1990 Americans with
Disabilities Act.
However, prior to 2000, there was not a lot of guidance for the development
of accessible parks. Designers, landscape
architects and play equipment manufacturers attempted to make some
accommodations, but in general, access features were limited: a hard-surface
path leading to the boundaries of a play area (often blocked by a
retaining wall), an accessible swing, an accessible surface
leading to the accessible swing and the bottom of a slide. Occasionally
there were
hard-surface paths leading to a hard court, picnic table or fishing
pier, but additional features were not provided due to lack of knowledge
of accessibility issues.
In 2000 and 2002, the Department
of Justice published a set of guidelines identifying features necessary
for accessible outdoor recreation areas, including playgrounds, fishing
piers, boat launches, swimming pools, golf courses,
sporting facilities exercise areas, etc. The guidelines take into
consideration not only individuals who use wheelchairs but also folks
with other types of issues. For instance, the guidelines recognize
that there
are individuals who may use a mobility device for negotiating long
distances, who also have an ability to walk short distances, crawl,
climb and move throughout a play structure “free” of
their mobility aid.
Unfortunately, the Department
of Justice has not yet set a date when these guidelines will be adopted
and enforceable. The process to adopt final guidelines is very slow,
requiring a public notice and comment period after guidelines have
been developed. Once comments are received, they are reviewed and,
where determined
appropriate, revised.
This process has been going on since the late 1990s. The good news
is that in anticipation of finalization of these guidelines, many
cities, counties, school districts and play equipment manufacturers
have already begun implementing the recommended guidelines when installing
new amenities.
Now to your question. Unfortunately
at the present time there is no comprehensive list of accessible
park locations in the state of Minnesota. Some
communities have handouts or information on their web-site indicating
which parks and
amenities provide accessible features. Often times if you contact
the Park and Recreation department within an
organization they can provide you with information regarding park
amenities.
In addition, a couple of organizations
that have provided high levels of accessibility
include:
• Three Rivers Park District (formally Hennepin Parks)
www.threeriversparkdistrict.org
• Access Outdoors / Wilderness
Inquiry www.accessoutdoors.org or
www.wildernessinquiry.org
It is our hope that as new play areas are created, and old equipment replaced,
a higher level of accessibility will be
seen at all parks and recreation areas. Have fun playing! (Wear your sunscreen!)
Do you have a question for Jane and Accessibility Design? We’ll cover all
of your
questions in future issues of Home Access Answers. Please contact us: 952-925-0301
www.accessibilitydesign.com
or info@accessibilitydesign.com
Jane Hampton, president of Accessibility Design, founded the company in 1992
to enhance lives through design and project management. They provide design,
consultation, project management and product recommendation services specializing
in home access for individuals
with disabilities at all stages of life.
