FEBRUARY 2010
Lan-Oak Park District
Lan-Oak Park District has retained RAC for a system-wide access audit of all recreation sites and facilities. RAC staff started facility audits this month and will complete our work in parks and outdoors sites late spring of 2010. The Park District is entering a strategic plan process and wants the accessibility audit information as an underlay for that process. Additionally, Executive Director John Wilson at Lan-Oak recognizes that section 35.105 of the title II regulation requires this audit.
Julie Asks…
Julie Barnhill at Elk Grove Park District asked a great question during one of the sessions conducted by John McGovern at the 2010 Illinois Parks and Recreation Conference. In a session on inclusion policies and procedures, she asked about the language that park districts and public recreation agencies should have in place regarding associations or groups that use public facilities and provide services, such as a sports association or a contract instructor. Click here to read more..
Speaking of the Illinois Conference…
In a random drawing, Dan Schimmel, the Director of Recreation and Facilities at the Buffalo Grove Park District, was chosen as the winner of the W-T Engineering state conference prize. Dan received a netbook computer that he says he’ll use while traveling. Congratulations!
Department of Justice Enforcement Update
The US Department of Justice January enforcement update is available at the DOJ website at http://www.ada.gov/newsltr0110.pdf. This is full of helpful information about the direction the DOJ takes.
Rolling Meadows Park District
The Rolling Meadows Park District has retained RAC to draft a transition plan for the District. RAC completed the access audit of District sites and facilities in 2009. Park District Executive Director Amy Charlesworth knows that the District has fewer than 50 full time employees and arguably isn’t required to draft the 35.150(d) transition plan. She feels that the benefit of having the plan will aid the District greatly as it allocates resources for the future.
More Illinois Conference…
No conference is complete without recognition for the outstanding efforts of professionals and citizens who work to make parks and recreation available to all. On January 29 these professionals were recognized for their contributions to the field:
- Steve Swanson of the Glenview Park District received the IPRA Excellence in Environmental Leadership Award
- Jason Myers of the Lombard Park District received the IPRA Young Professional Award
- Mike Clark of the Batavia Park District received the IPRA Fellow Award
- Steve Scholten of the Arlington Heights Park District received the IPRA Robert M. Artz Award
- Jeff Boubelik of the Frankfort Park District received the IAPD Outstanding Professional Award
- Paul Friedrichs of the Lombard Park District received the IPRA Professional Recognition Award
Congratulations again to these outstanding professionals!
NRPA Announces Grants
The National Recreation and Parks Association (NRPA) announced the first round of grants to local parks and recreation agencies for the development of Paralympic Sport Clubs. Click here to read more...