Access to Outdoor Environments

A satellite seminar of the National Center on Accessibility in partnership with the National Park Service Employee Development Program

Welcome and Introductions

by Dr. David Austin, Program Moderator and Gary Robb, Executive Director of the National Center on Accessibility

National Park Service Commitment to Accessibility

by Robert Stanton, Director of the National Park Service

Rulemaking Process and Status for Outdoor Developed Areas

Accessibility guidelines for outdoor recreation areas have undergone a lengthy rulemaking process. During this segment, Peggy Greenwell, U.S. Access Board, presents an update on the current status of accessibility rulemaking for trails, campgrounds, picnic areas and beaches. In addition, she highlights the "next steps" for rulemaking, opportunities for public comment, and enforcement issues.

Applying Accessibility Provisions to Trail Design

What are the considerations when designing trails with different terrains and characteristics? How do the recommended provisions apply to unique environments and terrains? And how might the recommended exceptions to the provisions change the design of a given trail? Peter Jensen, Open Spaces Management, pushes trail design even farther in this segment as he visually illustrates the application of the major accessibility provisions for trails as recommended to the U.S. Access Board to real-life trail scenarios and highlights practical approaches to accessible trail design.

Trail Construction

Trail construction and maintenance becomes a critical component to trail access for visitors with disabilities. Don Beers, California State Parks reviews trail construction concerns and highlight practical applications for constructing accessible trails including alterations and material use in trail projects within the California system.

Trail Design Charette Video Segment

Whole Access, a Redwood City, California based nonprofit organization working to make parks and nature experiences accessible to people with disabilities shares a look at its design synergy effort to maximize accessibility and protect natural resources.

Access to Beaches

Traveling through sand can be challenging for beach-goers of all abilities. Dr. Edward Hamilton, Easter Seals Virginia, illustrates some of the key recommended provisions for beaches enhancing access for all users.

Access to Camping & Picnic Areas

Access to camping and picnic areas rounds out the recreation experience. Ruth Doyle, Santa Fe National Forest highlights the major recommended provisions for these areas. In addition, she reviews practical applications and best practices for design of accessible camp sites and picnic areas.

Access to Wilderness Areas: An Interview with David C. Park, National Park Service

What is the interplay between accessibility guidelines and wilderness areas? How do accessibility guidelines apply to federally designated areas versus those that are managed as wilderness areas? This brief interview with Dave Park, National Park Service, discusses access to wilderness areas for visitors with disabilities.

About the Program Moderator

David Austin, Ph.D. (University of Illinois, 1973).
Dr. Austin is a (full) Professor and a distinguished teacher and scholar of the Recreation and Parks Department of Indiana University. He is the only individual to have received Distinguished Fellow Awards from the American Therapeutic Recreation Association (ATRA) and the National Therapeutic Recreation Society (NTRS), as well as the Society of Park and Recreation Educators (SPRE). He is a Fellow in the prestigious Academy of Leisure Sciences and author of over 90 professional articles and chapters, three textbooks, and in 1998, received the National Recreation and Park Association Literary Award.

About the Speakers

Don Beers, California State Parks
Don Beers is an employee of the California State Park Service. He has been designing and constructing trails for the past twenty years. Don is one of the lead instructors in the California State Park's trail class and serves as a mentor and advisor to trail coordinators in the State Park System. Don and his colleagues frequently conduct workshops and seminars at state and national trail conferences. He has worked closely with accessibility experts in the past five years to improve trail design and construction techniques in order to provide a higher level of accessibility without compromising park resources. California State Parks, PO Box 2006, Eureka, CA 95502. Phone (707) 445-6547 ext 18.



Ruth Doyle, Landscape Architect, Santa Fe National Forest
Ruth Doyle is a landscape architect with the Santa Fe National Forest, where she is involved in a wider range of recreation design and construction projects, accessibility, and scenery management. Ruth spent two years in the Forest Service's Washington, D.C. office to assist in the development of national guidelines for incorporating universal design into the outdoor recreation environment. She was a contributing author to Universal Access to the Outdoor Environment: A Design Guide. Ruth was the agency's representative on the U.S. Access Board's Outdoor Developed Areas Regulatory Negotiation Committee, the committee tasked with developing accessibility guidelines for picnic areas, campgrounds, beach access routes and trails. She received a Maters Degree in Landscape Architecture from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and is registered in the state of New Mexico. Santa Fe National Forest, 1474 Rodeo Road, Santa Fe, NM 87505. Phone (505) 438-7823.



Peggy Greenwell, Training Coordinator/Accessibility Specialist, U.S. Access Board
Peggy H. Greenwell has been an accessibility specialist with the U S Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board) since November l992. Her responsibilities include providing technical assistance and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) and the Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS). She specializes in access issues related to recreation facilities and is coordinating the development of accessibility guidelines for facilities such as: sports facilities, amusement parks, play areas, golf facilities, swimming pools, boating and fishing facilities, and outdoor developed areas. Her work includes responsibility for the coordination of the U.S. Access Board's recreation rulemaking and has included three federal advisory committees, two of which were regulatory negotiations. Most recently, she assumed responsibility for the agency's training program. This includes the development of training programs and material for diverse audiences. Before joining the Board, she spent l7 years as a Division Manager with the Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission, Department of Parks and Recreation in Prince George's County, Maryland. At this agency she was responsible for the Special Populations Division that provided Community-Based Therapeutic Recreation Program for Individuals with Disabilities. Her responsibilities also included ensuring that the Department met all Federal and State accessibility requirements for buildings and facilities. As the ADA Coordinator for this Department, she coordinated the survey work for more than 150 buildings and 240 outdoor sites. She has a Bachelor's in Science Degree from the University of Maryland in Recreation with a Therapeutic Recreation option and a Master's Degree from the University of Maryland, University College in General Administration. She is a frequent speaker before organizations in the design, construction, and facility's management industries and has developed numerous training programs and seminars for those responsible for the application of the Accessibility Guidelines.



Edward Hamilton, Ph.D, President/CEO, Easter Seals Virginia
Committed to the full participation in parks, recreation and tourism by people with disabilities, Dr. Ed Hamilton is the President and CEO of Easter Seals of Virginia. Prior to his current position, Dr. Hamilton was the Director of Research for the National Center on Accessibility. During this time, his research focused on leisure behavior of people with disabilities as well as access to beaches, trails, golf and pools. Ed received his Ph.D. in Human Performance in Leisure Behavior from Indiana University. He received his Undergraduate and Masters Degrees from the University of Maryland. Ed has also served as the Assistant Director of Bradford Woods Outdoor Education Center. Ed was a representative to the U.S. Access Board's Outdoor Developed Areas Regulatory Negotiation Committee. Easter Seals Virginia, 4841 Williamson Road, PO Box 5496 Roanoke, VA 24012-2390. Phone: (540) 362-1656.



Peter Jensen, Open Spaces Management
Peter Jensen is a Trail Designer/Builder and owner of Openspace Management, a Great Barrington, Massachusetts firm he established in 1988 dedicated to providing environmentally sound trail and land stewardship planning as well as low impact trail development and natural resource stewardship services. Utilizing his 23 years of experience in trail planning, design, and construction he has completed a myriad of urban, backcountry, and accessible trail projects throughout the Northeast for public agencies, non-profit land conservation organizations, and private landowners. While most of the projects involve construction of trails using native materials and hand tools, some projects involve the use of mechanized equipment and imported materials. The use of stone for crib wall construction, steps, and bridges are highly favored as he is a soil scientist and geologist by training. During his tenure as a board member of the Appalachian Trail Conference he was the Conference's representative to the Regulatory Negotiation Committee on Accessibility Guidelines for Outdoor Developed Areas where he helped shape proposed regulations for development of new trails, camping facilities, picnic sites, and beaches. He is also a licensed Massachusetts Professional Forester and combines forest management activities into trail projects where desired by clients. Having a broad understanding of ecosystem function and trail construction methods enables him to design and implement trails which lie lightly upon the land and provide positive user experiences. Openspace Management, P.O. Box 316, Great Barrington, MA 01230, E-mail: opespace@bcn.net.



David Park, Accessibility Program Coordinator, National Park Service
As the NPS Accessibility Program Coordinator, Dave is primarily responsible for developing, monitoring, and coordinating efforts of the National Park Service to provide the highest level of accessibility for people with disabilities as is practicable. He has been in this position since 1980. His efforts have included a nationwide program in policy development, in-service education, technical assistance, compliance enforcement, and outreach to disabled citizen groups. Dave has been involved professionally in the area of park and recreation accessibility since 1960 and has served in numerous national leadership positions during that time. In 1993-94 he served as one of the members of the National Advisory Committee on Accessible Recreation Facilities, and chaired the subcommittee on outdoor facilities. Dave represented the National Park Service and the Department of the Interior on the U.S. Access Board's Outdoor Developed Areas Regulatory Negotiation Committee. From 1960 to 1969 he served as a practicing Therapeutic Recreation Specialist with people with developmental disabilities and mental illness. Dave has also served as Coordinator of Programs for Disabled Persons at the National Recreation and Park Association from 1969 to 1975, and as Director of the Therapeutic Recreation Graduate Degree Program at George Washington University from 1975 to 1980. Dave holds a Masters Degree from the University of North Carolina and has done post masters work at George Washington University. National Park Service, 18th and "C" Street, NW, room 7252, Washington D.C. 20240. (202) 565-1255. E-mail: david_park@nps.gov



Gary Robb, Executive Director, National Center on Accessibility
Gary M. Robb is the Executive Director of the National Center on Accessibility and also of Bradford Woods, Indiana University's 2400-acre Center for Outdoor and Leadership Development. Gary is also an Associate Professor in the Department of Recreation and Park Administration, School of HPER at Indiana University. Gary served on the U.S. Access Board's Outdoor Developed Areas Regulatory Negotiation Committee. He is the Coordinator of the National Forum on Accessible Golf, a program designed to facilitate the integration of persons with disabilities into the game of golf. Gary also has served on the Board of Directors of the Association for Disabled American Golfers and Golf Rx. Gary is a past President of the National Therapeutic Recreation Society and a member of the Board of Trustees of the National Recreation and Park Association and a two-term member of the President's Committee on Employment of Persons with Disabilities. Gary holds Undergraduate and Graduate Degrees from the University of Utah, and in 1984 was named the distinguished alumni of the Department of Recreation and Leisure Services, School of Health from that University. He has worked with persons with disabilities for over 25 years. NCA, Indiana University, 2805 East 10th St, Suite 190, Bloomington, IN 47408-2698. Phone (812) 856-4422 (voice), (812) 856-4421 (tty). E-mail: grobb@indiana.edu