October 2009
Training the Enforcers
RAC President John McGovern conducted an in-service training for attorneys, architects, investigators, and technical assistance staff at the US Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. on October 1. He presented information about how the typical public parks and recreation agency has made great strides in ADA compliance in programs, policies, and the recreation infrastructure.
Streamwood Park District
Streamwood Park District has retained RAC for a system-wide access audit of all recreation sites and facilities. RAC staff will start audits in the late fall and work through spring, 2010. The Board recognizes the need to serve all Streamwood residents and believes the access audit is the right place to start.
Belvidere Park District
Belvidere Park District has retained RAC for consulting services regarding policies, benchmarking, development of services, and a community outreach plan in order to delivering special recreation services to Belvidere residents. Executive Director Dan Roddewig said that he and the Board believe that now is the right time for this work to begin in Belvidere.
NRPA Congress
RAC President John McGovern spoke Tuesday, October 13 at the NRPA Congress. His session titled “The Waiting Game: Predictions About the Department of Justice Final Regulations” attracted a good crowd of public parks and recreation professionals and citizen policy-makers. McGovern reviewed the status of the rulemaking that began in mid-2006 and should eventually incorporate the US Access Board Recreation Environment Final Guidelines.
Speaking in Wisconsin
RAC President John McGovern will speak in Cedarburg, WI at the monthly meeting of the South East Parks and Recreation Council on October 28 at 10:00 a.m. He will discuss key recreation inclusion concepts.
Need a speaker? On occasion McGovern goes on too long, but go ahead and call him at 224/293-6451 if you want to hear about access and inclusion.
Speaking about Conservation Districts!
RAC President John McGovern spoke Friday, October 9 in Decatur, Illinois at the Illinois Association of Conservation Districts Annual Meeting. The two-hour session stretched to more than 3 hours when rain kept attendees from a scheduled trail walk. McGovern reviewed essential policy, site, and program compliance concepts. He also discussed the smart practices that have proven successful at public parks and recreation agencies elsewhere. Conservation Districts have a unique mission, but many offer traditional services such as summer camps, camp sites, picnic areas, pavilions or shelters, and all certainly have parking lots and accessible routes.
The message to Conservation Districts? As discussed in earlier editions of our
e-news, pay attention to the details of clearly stated requirements for parking, detectable warnings, door pounds of force, restrooms, curb cuts, and standard building elements. We strongly recommend using the US Access Board Final Guidelines for Recreation Environments. Finally, in regard to programs and events, invite inclusive participation and conduct assessments to determine what type of supports are necessary to provide for safe and enjoyable participation for all guests.
Another Good Reason to Add an Access Walk-thru to Your Punch List Review
A picture is worth a thousand words. Here is another reason to add "accessibility" to your punch list walk-thru. When you do that, consider using RAC and your sites will not look the one in the picture.
