On Monday afternoon, 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.
NRPA's Board of Trustees convened a Task Force in 2004 and then another working group in 2008 to provide input on the proposed ADA regulations affecting recreational facilities. NRPA members provided written comments and oral testimony in field hearings and comments for the official record over the years. The recent announcement regarding the final regulations completes a years-long process to develop these regulations which have had a very significant impact on how parks and recreation has addressed public access for persons with disabilities since 1993.
"This is one of the final steps in making all environments, especially recreational environments, accessible to all persons regardless of their disability," said John McGovern, President of Recreation Accessibility Consultants and long-time NRPA member.
In anticipation of this success, NRPA will offer three dynamic webinars in September to highlight the key changes and additions to help you understand, adopt, and enforce the new regulations.
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Title: The New ADA: Overview of the Top Ten Issues and Key Policy and Implementation Triggers
Date: September 2, 2010
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Title: The New ADA: Overview of the Playgrounds and Golf Requirements
Date: September 16, 2010
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Title: The New ADA: Overview of the Requirements for Fitness Facilities, Aquatics Facilities, and Boating and Fishing Areas
Date: September 30, 2010
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Click here for more information on the webinars.
View the Summary of Changes.
View the remarks by the President.
The Final Rules, Fact Sheets and Analysis are available at the Department of Justice.
August 24, 2010