Including All Kids in Youth Sports and Complying with the ADA

WE WANT TO PLAY TOO!
Including All Kids in Youth Sports and Complying with the ADA

Author: Cindy Burkhour

Can children with disabilities participate successfully in youth sports programs? Absolutely! ALL Kids have different levels of ability. ALL kids have unique skills and abilities. ALL children can and do benefit from the experience of being a part of a team. Children who have disabilities also have unique skills, different levels of abilities and benefit the same as other kids from the youth sports experience. Kids with disabilities are "children first and foremost" with the same dreams and aspirations as other kids! The only difference is that they happen to have a condition which may affect some of their abilities and skills.

Unfortunately, some of these kids, who have "different" abilities from a physical, sensory or learning disability, have been denied participation in youth sports programs with their peers who do not have disabilities. One of the concerns that comes up quite often is from coaches who question their own qualifications and abilities to work with kids who have disabilities. There is a perception out there somewhere that you must be a specialist of some kind to include kids with disabilities. Fortunately this is not a correct perception. What a coach needs, is to be a good coach who truly appreciates the unique individual qualities of all children. When good coaching or leading techniques and positive principles are applied, youth sport coaches can include ALL kids. When there is a need for some additional information about a particular child's needs for assistance to be successfully included, there are people, both professionals and volunteers, that can be consulted for making specific adaptations or accommodations. Some of those resource people may include family or friends of the child, a therapeutic recreation specialist, physical therapist, or the child's teacher.

Including children with disabilities in typical youth sports can be a positive experience for everyone! The most important positive impact is on the child with a disability. But, this inclusive participation helps other kids on the team families to recognize and appreciate the differences we all have and to value all individual contributions to the total youth sports experience. Including kids with disabilities in activities with their peers who do not have disabilities is a concept and major guiding principle of the Americans with Disabilities Act. This law provides us with an opportunity to truly welcome all children into youth sports. Coaches are the "key players" that can make youth sports and recreation participation enjoyable, successful and accessible to ALL children.

The ADA and Youth Sports:

What is the Americans with Disabilities Act?
* broad sweeping civil rights legislation

* insures the rights of people with disabilities:
to be included in all aspects of community life
to enjoy the full benefits of participation
to be served in the most integrated setting

Who are the 43 million Americans with disabilities protected by this law?
* People First! who happen to have a mental or physical impairment that substantially affects one or more major life functions like learning, mobility, seeing, hearing, communication, self-care or independence.

* a person with a disability is someone's child or parent, someone's neighbor and friend, an aunt or cousin, someone's co-worker or class mate, they live in houses on streets in neighborhoods, they go to regular schools, have real jobs, play sports, have fun, they are more like us than different from us.

* any one of us can become a person with a disability at any time, any player on your team, any parent or sibling, any volunteer or you, we are all temporarily able bodied

So what does this law have to do with youth sports?
* the law tells us to fully include kids with disabilities in our activities with their peers who do not have disabilities

* the law tells us to provide reasonable accommodations to help a child participate and enjoy the typical benefits all kids get from participation in youth sports


Participation Expectations:

What do kids with disabilities and their families want out of youth sports and Recreation participation? Nothing very different from other kids and families!

all kids wants to be included, no one wants to be left out
all kids want to improve and be recognized for there own skill development
all kids want to be appreciated for their contribution to the team
all kids want to be successful participants
all kids want to be accepted by others, and be friends with their team mates
all kids want to have fun in sports

Inclusion Strategies:

What kinds of adaptations, assistance or accommodations might need to be made? Making an adaptation or providing individual support is done based on the individual child's need for assistance to be successfully included and to participate with all the other kids. Sometimes it means making an exception in the rules or how one particular activity of the game is performed by that one child based on his skills and abilities. For example, sometimes it is as simple as allowing a player who uses a wheelchair to have a "pusher" to assist with base running. This means that two players are together running the bases and we make it clear that the child using the wheelchair is the player to be tagged out, not the "pusher", because the pusher is simply providing the leg power. Sometimes the accommodation is utilizing some adapted equipment in the game like using a bright yellow basketball so a child who has a visual impairment can more effectively see the ball during play. This alteration is made to assist the child to have a more equal opportunity for successful participation. Accommodations and supports are not designed to give the child with a disability or his team an unfair advantage, but are designed rather to remove the barriers to participation that put that child and or his team at an unfair playing disadvantage. Keep in mind that there are no universal adaptations that work for all kids with similar disabilities. Each child is unique and the accommodations made, need to address their individual needs.

How can youth sport coaches figure out how to fully include all kids?
* skill assessments/task analysis - clearly identify all of the physical, sensory, learning, communication, socialization skills needed to be successful by looking at participation from beginning to end of the activity

* focus on maximizing abilities - utilizing individual strengths, remember not everyone has to do every aspect of every sport, independently to be successful!

* ask for accommodation ideas - child, family, teachers, recreation therapist, physical therapist, and particularly other kids because they will truly come up with the most unobtrusive adaptations that won't get in the way of the "fun"!

Adaptations can be made by making adjustments in:
leading/teaching/communication
positions field/court placement
performance expectations
rules of the game

What will the other parents and coaches think?
* may not understand the importance of inclusion or even concept
* may question legalities of adaptation/accommodation
* may express safety concerns for all players or participants
* parents of kids with disabilities may not be/feel accepted

How will inclusion affect other players or participants? How will it affect the other teams played or people in the public you may encounter?
* may have questions about "differentness"
* question fairness of accommodations and adaptations
* kids may need support to foster interaction
* questions can generate great support ideas that don't interfere

Why should we do this?

Children with disabilities can definitely participate successfully in youth sports programs!

ALL children can and do benefit from the experience of being a part of a team.

Kids with disabilities are "children first and foremost" with the same dreams and aspirations as other kids!

Including children with disabilities in typical youth sports can be a positive experience for everyone! This inclusive participation helps other kids on the team and their families to recognize and appreciate the differences we all have and to value all individual contributions to the total youth sports experience.

Playgrounds for All - Assessing Accessibility

Playgrounds for All

Cindy Burkhour, M.A., CTRS, CPRP

Introduction

Play is important to the social and physical development of all children. Children with and without disabilities need to climb, rock, swing, slide, pretend, socialize, balance, build strength, test their abilities, spin, dig, splash, and have fun. When children with and without disabilities play together, they learn to appreciate each others’ abilities and similarities.

Children are not the only benefactors of accessible design in play areas. When playground surfaces are accessible, parents with disabilities can move around the playground in order to support and interact with their children as they play. Accessible routes in and around the play area also help parents without disabilities, particularly those pushing younger siblings in strollers, and grandparents who may have a difficult time walking on loose, uneven or unstable surfaces while playing with their grandchildren. Good universal design is a benefit to adults and children alike.

Because children with disabilities are increasingly included in child care with other children in their neighborhood, in local schools and community recreation programs such as summer playground programs, accessible play areas are a necessity.

Planning for Accessible Play Areas

The reality is that children with disabilities live in every community. Find out who they are and have conversations with them about what type of playground would be usable and fun. Children with and without disabilities and their families have very similar expectations for safe, challenging, social, physical, imaginary, and interactive play experiences.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) says that all new and altered play areas will be accessible to and usable by people with disabilities. The ADA Accessibility Guidelines give the technical (how to build it) and scooping (when and where) provisions to make play areas accessible to and usable by children with disabilities. To really understand you should get a copy of the requirements, read the rules, the preamble and the appendix and use them to guide you throughout the entire planning process. Be able to defend your ideas and designs within the parameters of these requirements and require the designer or playground manufacture representative to do the same, to insure you have not only met the requirements, but really have created a play area for ALL children. And don't forget the parents in your designs. Parents with disabilities need to be able to move around the playground in order to support and interact with their children as they play. In fact I encourage you to invite participation by parents of children with disabilities in the planning process. Find out which kinds of play components would be most useable and of interest to their child.

Choosing Fun Accessible Activities

Select different types of play components that can provide a wide variety of comparable experiences. Remember, some children walk using assistive mobility devices such as crutches, walkers or canes, and others use wheelchairs. Some children who use wheelchairs can also walk, crawl or scoot along when out of their chairs, whereas others need assistance while out of their chairs. Some children who use walkers, crutches or canes choose not to abandon their assistive mobility devices to crawl or scoot along a play structure where other children are walking; some children who use wheelchairs choose not to get out of their chairs to crawl, drag or scoot along where others walk or climb.

Sometimes, children do not have the strength or skills to move around unassisted; the experience they are trying to achieve is not worth the effort required to move around without assistance, or it may not be “cool” to crawl while others walk or run.
Subsequently, choose activities that can be experienced while using a wheelchair or assistive mobility device. Choose activities that are physical and social, that can be played alone or with other children. Choose opportunities to rock, spin, play interactive games, swing, slide, make sounds and music, balance, climb, dig, crawl, scoot, bounce, etc.

Here are some questions to help determine if a play component is accessible to and useable by kids with a variety of abilities. The big question is… can kids get to it…get onto or into it…, do it…, get off from it… and go on to the next fun thing to do and eventually get back to wherever they started or left their assistive device?

• Can it be accessed in different ways, such as from the side or end?

• Does accessible surfacing allow for easy entry and exit?

• Is there a route connected to the other accessible play components?

Rocking experiences: Are there transfer supports, such as handles or other gripping devices? Is the seat space free of obstructions such as raised backs or sides that would impede a transfer from a wheelchair or climbing on once the kiddo has let go of their assistive device? What types of seating support and single/multiple user options are available? Can the rocker be used alone and with others? Is the rocker located near other rockers so that the kids can have social interaction? Is the surface accessible so a child in a wheelchair can get to it, to get on it?
Swinging experiences: In which directions do the swings go… to and fro or spinning around? What types of seating support, like backs and single/multiple user options are available? Does the swing support the body? Can kids sit or lay on it? And is the surface accessible so a child in a wheelchair can get to it, to get on it?

Sliding experiences: Are there a variety of accessible slides, such as short straight slides, high spiral slides, tube slides, double slides, wavy or bumpy slides? Can kids get to the getting on point using their wheelchair or walker by a ramp and is there a transfer system at the top of the slide to make getting onto the slide easy? Does the slide end where there is accessible surface and a route back to where they got on? Is there a place near the slide end to leave an assistive device with transfer steps up to the top of the slide, so when they slide down their chair or walker is near by?

Climbing experiences: How many footholds are there and where are they? Is there a variety of climbing shapes and angles? Is the climber shaped so it can support parts of the body while climbing up or down? Is the surface accessible so a child in a wheelchair can get to it, to get on it and off it at the other end?

Accessible Design

Entry Points & Seats: Play components, such as slides, spring rockers or swings must be at a transferable height. The entry point or seat height must be a minimum of 11 inches and a maximum of 24 inches above the required clear ground or floor space (that’s the place a child could leave their chair or walker). This play component must also have a means of support for transfer, such as hand holds or gripping surfaces to help a child move onto the play component.

Play Tables: Heights and Clearances: Kids need to be able to pull up and under any play tables and reach all the stuff to do like the water spout on a water table. This space must be at least 24” high so knees slide right under.

Reach Ranges: Interactive features of accessible play components, such as game panels, sound walls, raised sand and/or water tables, and pretend play props should be within the reach ranges of children using wheelchairs. For example components no higher than 36 inches and no lower than 20 inches for children ages 2 to 5 are reachable by most kids. For play components designed for use by children ages 5 to 12, reach ranges no higher than 40 inches and no lower than 18 inches work for most kids using wheelchairs and kids who are standing and don’t have disabilities.

Maneuvering Space and Clear or Ground Space: A play component must have a maneuvering space (measuring 60 inches by 60 inches) so a kiddo using a wheelchair can get there, play, turn around and go on to something else and a clear ground space (measuring 30 inches by 48 inches) to sit or stand in to play with the component or leave an assistive device parked in while on the play component (like next to the spring rocker or swing); these spaces must be on the same level as the accessible play component and can overlap.

Accessible Route: The accessible route gets you to the play area and onto the play surface and to the accessible play components. The accessible play components must be connected to the accessible route at both entry and exit points, which is particularly important when children traverse the play component. For example, children get on the slide from a deck on a play structure and get off the slide on the ground. If the child arrives to the top of the slide by a ramp, transfers onto the slide leaving his or her chair on the deck, and slides to the ground, the slide end must connect to an accessible route so that the wheelchair can be brought to him or her. If the slide ends in the sand, there is no way to bring the child’s walker or wheelchair to him or her.

Surfacing: In the play area the route surface must be both accessible (firm and stable) and resilient (safe). Some loose-fill materials, such as sand and pea gravel are definitely not accessible. Other loose-fill materials, such as manufactured wood fibers, can be accessible if maintained to be level at all times even under swings and ends of slides. Significant ongoing maintenance is needed to rake, roll & compact top surface material to maintain transfer heights at component exits and under swings where the loose-fill material is kicked out of place. Loose-fill materials must be contained by a border which must have more than one opening to allow for accessible routes onto the play area surface. When there is a combination of loose-fill and unitary surfaces (like mats), special care must be taken so there are no trip/tip hazards at the transition point between the two surfaces. The edges of the unitary surface must be sloped, no steeper than a ramp (8.33%/1:12) and end below grade then the loose-fill material brought up to be level with the unitary surface so there is not a tip hazard at this transition point. The loose-fill material must also be kept off the unitary surface so that it does not obstruct the accessible route.

New surface products, such as ADA Play Surface have been developed using a loose recycled rubber base, contained and covered, to keep it in place and make it accessible, with a unitary top mat. These new products require little ongoing upkeep and may last longer than loose-fills that are not top-dressed with an accessible covering. Unitary manufactured rubber mats, poured-in-place rubber surfacing materials and surfaces like the ADA Play Surface system may be more costly initially, but all require very little upkeep over time and may last longer.

Creating Accessible Playgrounds

Countering Opposition

• “We do not have children with disabilities in the community.” Statistically, more than 15% of the people in our communities have disabilities. If you don’t currently serve children with disabilities, you will.

• “It is too costly.” With planning, an accessible play area makes the play environment more enjoyable for everyone and is not necessarily more expensive if you make good choices of accessible play components, accessible surfacing and organize the fun stuff to do in ways that make it easy to get from here to there and back for ALL kids.

Pointers on Good Play Design

• Is there an accessible route: to-on-through-off-back?

• Is there an equitable number and variety of experiences for all children? If so, show which ground-level and elevated components are accessible, describe how they meet the criteria, and how children can access them.

• Identify the accessible activities that are physical and social and indicate the equity of opportunities at both elevated and ground levels.

• Identify the activities for children who cannot or choose not to leave their wheelchairs.

• Identify how the design of individual play components and the placement in the layout of the structure meet the technical and scoping provisions of the rule.

• Ask the developers to sign an agreement stating that they agree to comply with ADA standards and will correct any problems.

Advocacy

Child care programs and parents of children with disabilities must continue to work closely with manufacturers and designers to create playgrounds that comply with the ADA and provide an accessible environment for all children. People who serve children need to invite and welcome kids with disabilities. If you build it they will come and you will be successful because… you care for children, ALL children, it’s what you do & do so well!

For a copy of the Accessibility Guidelines for Play Facilities, contact the Access Board at (202) 272-5434 or visit its Web site at www.access-board.gov.

About the Author

Cindy Burkhour, M.A., CTRS, CPRP, has consulted with municipal, county and state agencies as well as school districts, private industries and advocacy organizations throughout the country and is a former director of parks, recreation, & therapeutic recreation services in her home town. Cindy served on the U.S. Access Board Regulatory Committees on Access to Play Facilities and Access to Outdoor Developed Areas. She has written several resource guides, including “Access Recreation: Creating Access to Community Recreation Opportunities for ALL Kids!” for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. Cindy has been active in working with persons with disabilities her entire life. She has a sibling, who has multiple physical and mental impairments and she is also the parent of a child who faces a variety of challenges after experiencing several massive strokes. She advocates professionally and personally for the rights of ALL people to be included in all aspects of community life.

Cynthia Kay Burkhour, MA, CTRS, CPRP
Inclusive Recreation Consultant,
Access Recreation Group, LLC & ADA Play Surface, LLC
2454 Lamplighter Drive, Jenison, MI 49428
ph/fax 616-669-9109 mobile 616-560-2378

W.K. Kellogg Foundation will provide $15 million in support of public recreation projects that provide universal accessibility

Contact:

Cindy Burkhour, Initiative Manager

Access to Recreation

616-669-9109

AccessRecreationGroup@juno.com

W.K. Kellogg Foundation will provide $15 million in support of public recreation projects that provide universal accessibility

Lansing, MI – A grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation will help ensure that more of Michigan’s many recreational opportunities are available to people of all abilities. The project, known as Access to Recreation, will provide a combination of challenge grants, technical assistance, and public education that will result in recreation facilities that exceed current ADA standards. Project partners include the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), the Michigan Recreation and Park Association (MRPA) and Midwest Community Foundations’ Ventures (MCFV).

“This effort will help continue Michigan’s leadership in access and rights for citizens with disabilities,” said Sterling Speirn, CEO of the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. “That tradition includes the first Barrier Free Design Act, the first state to mandate universal curb cuts, and the inclusion of disabilities within the Civil Rights Act. It is only natural that Michigan expand this leadership to provide recreational accessibility to its many natural resources for citizens and visitors.”

Access to Recreation is a continuation of Able to Play, a W.K. Kellogg Foundation 75th Legacy Project. As part of its 75th Anniversary, the Foundation helped Michigan communities build “Boundless Playgrounds”—playgrounds where children of all abilities are able to play and learn together. Funded by challenge grants, 19 playgrounds were built in communities including Detroit, Baraga, Flint, Lansing and Sandusky.

“One could say that Access to Recreation has been 75 years in the making,” said Speirn. “From the beginning of his philanthropic work in the 1930s, Mr. Kellogg recognized the importance of the two major strands that form the Able to Play and Access to Recreation projects. First, that play and recreation are important for health and learning. And second, that people of all abilities have the right to enjoy life’s full spectrum of experiences and opportunities. Access to Recreation continues to expand Mr. Kellogg’s vision in the place that mattered most to him, the Foundation’s home state of Michigan.”

One recipient of funding will be the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. The DNR has been a national leader in providing accessible recreation opportunities to parks, beaches and other recreational resources. The DNR will utilize Access to Recreation funding in conjunction with DNR-administered grant programs and in partnership with communities to expand accessibility in local parks and programs. “This grant provides a new tool for us to creatively bring citizens outdoors,” said Rebecca Humphries, DNR director. “We are looking forward to working with communities across the state to address access issues in piers, trails, beaches, and forests that make Michigan parks and recreation areas a destination for both citizens and visitors.”

Another important component of Access to Recreation will be training and professional development in recreational accessibility that will be provided through the Michigan Recreation and Park Association (MRPA) to its nearly 2,000 members. MRPA will also develop incentive programs to recognize recreation projects undertaken by its membership that advance universal accessibility.


“We welcome this opportunity and are committed to creating integrated, universally accessible recreation opportunities,” said Mike Maisner, MRPA executive director. “This is truly an exciting time for the expansion of recreation facilities throughout Michigan.”

Coordinating this work will be the Midwest Community Foundations’ Ventures (MCFV), a supporting organization of the Council of Michigan Foundations (CMF). MCFV represents more than 65 community foundations serving all of Michigan. “We are excited that seven community foundations will be selected in Michigan to work with the DNR, MRPA, and our other partners to achieve our goal of making accessibility in recreation available for all,” said Rob Collier, CMF and MCFV president.

“Additionally, MCFV will allow us to add fourteen sites in Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois through collaboration with the regional associations of grantmakers serving those states,” added Collier.

Access Board: Summaries of Accessibility Guidelines for Recreation Facilities

Access Board: Summaries of Accessibility Guidelines for Recreation Facilities

Amusement Rides

Boating Facilities

Golf Courses

Sporting Facilities

Fishing Piers and Platforms

Miniature Golf Courses

Swimming Pools and Spas

ADAAG - Accessible Swimming Pools and Spas

ADAAG - Accessible Swimming Pools and Spas
The recreation facility guidelines cover the following facilities and elements:

Amusement rides
Boating facilities
Fishing piers and platforms
Miniature golf courses
Golf courses
Exercise equipment
Bowling lanes
Shooting facilities
Swimming pools, wading pools, and spas
This guide is intended to help designers and operators in using the accessibility guidelines for swimming pools, wading pools, and spas. These guidelines establish minimum accessibility requirements for newly designed or newly constructed and altered swimming pools, wading pools, and spas. This guide is not a collection of swimming pool or spa designs. Rather, it provides specifications for elements within a swimming pool or spa to create a general level of usability for individuals with disabilities.

Justice Department Settlement Agreement with Miami, FL

Project Civic Access Agreement

....As part of its compliance review, the Department reviewed the following facilities, which – because construction or alterations commenced after January 26, 1992 – must comply with the ADA’s new construction or alterations requirements:


Lemon City Park and Day Care

Antonio Maceo Park

City Hall

Margaret Pace Park

Watersport / Shake-a-Leg

Bryan Park

Curtis Park and Pool

Eaton Park

Hadley Park and Pool

Miamarina at Bayside

Moore Park

Munroe Park and Tennis Center

Neighborhood Enhancement Team - Coconut Grove SW

Elizabeth Virrick Park

West End Park and Recreation Center

Jose Marti Park

Shenandoah Park and Recreation Center

Sandra Delucca Developmental Center

Recreational Access Expert - Cynthia Burkhour

Cynthia Burkhour, Inclusive Recreation Consultant

Access Recreation Group

2454 Lamplighter Drive

Jenison, MI 49428

616-668-9109

accessrecreationgroup@juno.com

Access Recreation Guide

These materials, gathered from many sources knowledgeable about recreation and disability issues, will help guide the interactions between the schools and the recreation providers as they work together in the development of inclusiverecreation opportunities for all kids.

The Access Recreation Guide is not a cookbook for a new program however, it is your guide to making inclusive recreation participation a reality for ALL kids.

U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section

U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section

U.S. Department of the Interior - Office of Civil Rights

U.S. Department of the Interior - Office of Civil Rights

Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS)

Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS)

ADAAG -Public Rights of Way

Sidewalks, street crossings, and other elements of the public rights-of-ways present unique challenges to accessibility for which specific guidance is considered essential. The Board is developing new guidelines for public rights-of-way that will address various issues, including access for blind pedestrians at street crossings, wheelchair access to on-street parking, and various constraints posed by space limitations, roadway design practices, slope, and terrain. The new guidelines will cover pedestrian access to sidewalks and streets, including crosswalks, curb ramps, street furnishings, pedestrian signals, parking, and other components of public rights-of-way. The Board had developed a draft set of guidelines based on recommendations from an advisory committee it had chartered. The Public Rights-of-Way Access Advisory Committee was comprised of representatives from disability organizations, public works departments, transportation and traffic engineering groups, the design and civil engineering professions, government agencies, and standards-setting bodies. The draft guidelines are being revised based on the input received from the public and will be available for public comment once published.

ADAAG -access to trails, beaches, and picnic and camping areas

ADAAG - access to trails, beaches, and picnic and camping areas

The Board is developing new guidelines covering access to trails, beaches, and picnic and camping areas. The guidelines will supplement those the Board has issued for the built environment and will address unique constraints specific to outdoor developed areas. The guidelines will be developed based on recommendations the Board received from the Outdoor Developed Areas Regulatory Negotiation Committee.

ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) for Play Areas

ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) for Play Areas

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Access Board has developed guidelines for play areas that were previously made available for public comment. Presented here are highlights of the final version, which includes changes made as a result of the Board’s review of public comments.

The guidelines for play areas add a new section (15.6) to the Board’s ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG), which cover access to the built environment in new construction and alterations. This section addresses only those play areas that are newly built or altered. (Generally, existing facilities, while subject to certain ADA requirements, are not addressed by ADAAG except where altered). The guidelines provide scoping requirements, which indicate what is to be accessible, and technical requirements, which explain how to achieve access. The guidelines cover play areas provided at schools, parks, child care facilities (except those based in the operator’s home, which are exempt), and other facilities subject to the ADA.

ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) for Recreation Facilities

ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) for Recreation Facilities

Under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Access Board has developed guidelines for recreation facilities that were previously made available for public comment. Presented here are highlights of the final version, which includes changes made as a result of the Board’s review of public comments. The Board also plans to make these guidelines applicable under the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA), which requires access to certain federally funded facilities.

Wheelchairs on the Go

Wheelchairs on the Go: Accessible Fun in Florida is Florida's only access guide for visitors and residents who use canes, walkers or wheelchairs or simply can't walk far.

Welcome to the Accessible Recreation Blog

Thank you for visiting. Our goal is to enhance your awareness of the wide range of recreational activities available to people with disabilities, and educate visitors about the law relating to this subject. Please visit often, as we will be updating this Blog frequently.