Disabled Access to Trails
Trent University Nature Area (green trail), January 2005, by Toby Wells.
Some Links Regarding
Accessibility on Trails
The newest "draft" guidelines from
the US Forest Service can be found at:
http://www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/accessibility/
They have draft guidelines for trails and also other outdoor recreation
facilities.
The "proposed" guidelines for trails, beaches, picnic areas and camp
grounds from the US Access Board can be found at:
http://www.access-board.gov/outdoor/outdoor-rec-rpt.htm
Reports on the "best practices" for sidewalks and urban trails were
completed by the US Department of Transportation - Federal Highway
Administration:
http://wwwcf.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/rectrails/publications.htm
General Information
Universal trail assessment process: how it
works and why it's important
By Kathleen Wong, Beneficial Designs, Inc.American Trails has taken on implementation of the
Universal Trail Assessment Process (UTAP), was
developed by Beneficial Designs. This project meets their mission of creating
trail systems for ALL Americans. The vision is to provide standardized,
objective information about the availability and condition of existing trails
to ALL trail users,both with and without disabilities.
Information gained from trail assessment will also help develop better trail
planning and design guidelines.
Full
report - The newsletter of
AMERICAN TRAILS -- NEW YEARS 1998
Access Guides
Disabled Access Guide "A Guide for Persons With
Disabilities",
Full Guide –
Organizations
The Access Board - A Federal Agency
Committed to Accessible Design - Mission The Access Board is an independent Federal agency devoted to
accessibility for people with disabilities. It operates with staff and a
governing board of representatives from Federal departments and public members
appointed by the President.
Key responsibilities of the Board include:
- developing and maintaining accessibility
requirements for the built environment, transit vehicles,
telecommunications equipment, and for electronic and information
technology
- providing technical assistance and training on
these guidelines and standards.
- enforcing accessibility standards for federally
funded facilities
Visit the Access Board website
Beneficial Designs -
Beneficial Designs works towards
universal access through research, design, and education. Thier work is
based on the belief that all individuals should have access to the physical,
intellectual, and spiritual aspects of life. They seek to enhance the
quality of life for people of all abilities, and work to achieve this aim by
developing and marketing technology for daily living, vocational, and leisure
activities.
Visit the
BeneficialDesignswebsite
Eco-Access - Eco-Access Home Page. Eco-Access promotes respect for ourselves, for others and for our environment. It is a
non-profit organisation,which
exists to ensure access for disabled people to nature.
Visit Eco-Access.
Disabled Equestrians Organization The Disabled Equestrians Organization represents
individuals that are moderately disabled and use a horse or mule to providethem
access to trails in the outdoors.
Letter to the Department of Justice, Disability Rights Section
wanting interpretation of the Disability Act.
The Enabled RVer - Enabled RVer homepage Access-travel has become
popularand familiar to many traveling by air and sea. The RVing community is
entering a new area with the special-needs traveler in mind. The Enabled RVer
offers a useful list of resources for disabled access within this popular past
time.
Visit their website.
Political Aspects
New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation: Opening
the Outdoors To People With Disabilities
Progress and Projects
Bristish Columbia Mobilty Opportunities Society The Society is charitable, non-profit organization aimed at providing methods of access to the wilderness for people with specific disabilities. To visit their Wilderness Access homepage click here. As part of their projects the development of the Trail rider has emerged. It is avehicle designed to allow access for those with disabilites into the wilderness. For alook at the design click here.
Friends of the
Forest Park – Our Projects
USDA Forest Service Draft Accessibility Guidelines for Trails Draft Guidelines Released– The Appalachian Trail Conference, 2003– Project The Trail.
“In
early December, the USDA Forest Service released for public review and comment
draft guidelines intended to improve opportunities for access by persons with
disabilities to trails, campsites, and other recreation facilities on national
forest system lands.” The guidelines may be obtained by visiting the Forest
Service Accessibility website.
Sasol
Sensory Trail Delta environmental Center in Delta Park Johannesburg opened the Sasol Sensory Trail in 1997, a park where the disabled, as
well as others can appreciate aspects of nature such as texture, temperature,
aroma and shape. History of the development of the trail:
Sasol
Sensory Trail online.
Parks
The Government of Canada has developed requirements to ensure that all federal facilities are accessible to persons with disabilities. Those requirements are found in the Treasury Board Real Property Accessibility Policy. The key objective of the policy is “to ensure that persons with disabilities can gain access to, and use, federal real property.” The policy also states that “custodian departments have primary responsibility for ensuring that the real property they administer is accessible to persons with disabilities, and for planning appropriate capital and maintenance programs to ensure implementation of the accessibility policy.”
“Parks Canada, as the custodian of
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Last
updated by Wesley Found