Accessibility
Articles
“Byways for Everyone: Make Sure Your Byway is Accessible,”
America’s Byways Resource Center; Vistas, March/April 2004
Accessibility: Make Sure Your Byway is Accessible
Why is accessibility so important? It’s the numbers. The Census Bureau tells us that one in five people in the U.S. has a disability that significantly limits one or more of their major life functions. Over the past dozen years that number has been increasing by over one million each year. Add to those figures the quickly aging population and it becomes clear that not only is accessibility important today, it will be critical to the future use and enjoyment of facilities and programs on America’s Byways®. Of the 55 million people who have a disability, only 8.4 million use wheelchairs or other mobility devices.
People with other disabilities are less noticeable, including those who have loss of hearing, limited vision, heart or breathing limitations, and developmental disabilities. People with disabilities want to be able to enjoy recreation experiences along with their family and friends. When one person in a group of travelers has a disability, the entire group will seek out and use only the accessible programs and facilities. The good news is that all people can share in byway experiences when universal design is an integral part of the planning, design and implementation of our byways.
Oh, yes, there is also the law. For Federal agencies and the dollars they invest, the 1968 Architectural Barriers Act (ABA) requires that all facilities built by, for, or on behalf of a Federal agency must be accessible. Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires that Federal agency programs and facilities be accessible to people with disabilities. State and local governments and businesses that are open to the public are covered under the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which requires their programs and any new construction to be accessible. So, yes, accessibility does have the hammer of the law, but beyond being a requirement, providing equal opportunity for all people in an integrated setting, with independence and dignity, is just good customer service.
Universal Design for All People
“Universal design” means designing programs and facilities to serve all people, regardless of the user’s size, physical, sensory or mental abilities, or language skills in an integrated setting that is a safe, efficient, comfortable and inviting environment.
To reach this universal design goal, accessibility must be integrated into the development process from the beginning. The interpretive plan must share the message in a variety of formats: visual, audio and “hands-on.” To ensure the site, program opportunities and facilities are universally designed; they include an accessibility specialist on the interpretive planning and the site/facility development teams. Keep in mind that the level of development should not be expanded solely for accessibility. However, all new construction or reconstruction must be accessible in accordance with the current accessibility guidelines.
A program is accessible when all people can gain the information and experience, and do so with independence, integration and dignity. There are four key questions to ask about each aspect of the program, materials, exhibits, sites and facilities:
- Can a person who has a mobility impairment access and participate in the program or exhibit along with everyone else?
- Can a person who is blind or has low-vision access and participate in the program or exhibit along with everyone else?
- Can a person who is deaf or hard of hearing access and participate in the program or exhibit along with everyone else?
- Can a person who has a learning disability access and participate in the program or exhibit along with everyone else?
If the answer to all four questions is “yes”, then the program is accessible. If the answer is “no” in some aspect, you’ll know what and where you need to improve. At existing facilities, have an accessibility specialist evaluate the accessibility and help develop plans for the needed improvements. Often small changes - some grading on a pathway, a little work on a threshold, lowering a 36” height of the information counter, moving items out of the aisles in a sales area - can make an area accessible.
Program Accessibility
Historic buildings often pose more of a challenge. The structure is legally required to be made accessible, unless that action would result in “substantial impairment” to significant features of the historic property. If the facility can’t be made accessible without negative impact, access must still be provided to the program at that facility.
A program can be defined as the reason people visit that structure. So, first identify the program. For example, as a lighthouse, the program opportunities may include viewing the scene from the top of the tower or learning about the structure’s history, or understanding life as the keeper of the lighthouse. If accessible, entrance to the structure cannot be provided without negative impact to the structure’s historic aspects, provide an exterior walkway including a panel replicating the tower view, the history, and life in the lighthouse. At other structures, a video tour may be possible. Whatever alternative programs are developed, they must be provided in the most integrated setting.
Print Material Criteria
Criteria for accessible print materials include high-contrast color, non-shiny paper, emphasis on graphics and minimum of 12-point sans or simple serif font. Byway audio tours should also be available in audio-described versions as well as in an accompanying brochure.
Criteria for orientation maps include high-contrast colors, emphasis on graphics rather than text, maximum centerline heights of 36 to 48 inches, and approachable with 2 inches. Interpretive signs follow the same criteria and by utilizing 3/30/3 design, these signs are accessible to all, including visitors with limited ability to read English. Visitor center exhibits must meet the same criteria, and all controls must be operable with one closed fist.
Before visitors arrive, they often seek accessibility information. Post the accessibility details on your website (make sure your website meets accessibility standards as well). On printed materials, include “Accessibility information available at” then list telephone numbers, website address, and any other sources of this information.
One final tip: Don’t use the word “handicapped.” Since the 1990 ADA, the correct terminology is only “a person with a disability” and “accessible.”
Now it’s your turn. You can make the difference in ensuring all people can share in the joy of America’s Byways.
Resources:
Numerous resources for making programs and facilities accessible are available on the USDA Forest Service Accessibility website at: www.fs.fed.us/recreation/programs/accessibility.
The Federal Highway Administration’s publication, Designing Sidewalks and Trails for Access, Part 2, Best Practices Design Guide, is available at www.fhwa.dot.gov/environment/sidewalk2/index.htm.
