Professional Development
Webinar Series
5 Ways to Make Your
Park and Rec Program
More Inclusive and Accessible
This webinar is about to
start!
5 Ways to Make Your
Park and Rec Program
More Inclusive and Accessible
Housekeeping
Items
• As attendees, you can only hear this
presentation through the
speakers/headphones of your computer or
over the phone. You are not tied into the
verbal part of the webinar.
• To listen over the phone
– call the conference center: +1 (415) 655-0054
– access code: 214-521-686
Housekeeping Items
• There is a Question feature on your control
panel. Submit your questions by clicking on
the feature on your control panel and typing
in your question.
• Some questions will be answered in a typed
response, others will be answered in the
Question and Answer portion of the webinar.
Housekeeping Items
• A an email with a link to a survey will be
sent to you following the webinar.
• Complete the survey and a PDF version of
today’s webinar will be sent to you.
• Anyone interested in CEU’s must view the
entire webinar and must complete the
survey.
5 Ways to Make Your
Park and Rec Program
More Inclusive and Accessible
This webinar is made possible
with generous support from the
U.S. Department of Health and
Human Services (HHS).
Today’s Moderator
Dan Humphreys
CDSS, MS
Director of BlazeTEC
Today’s Presenter
• Disability Policy Officer for the Chicago Park
District 2005-Present
• 12+ Years of service with Chicago Mayor’s
Office for people with Disabilities (MOPD)
• Over 30 years of experience in disabled and
adapted sports as an
• Athlete
• Official
• Coach
Larry Labiak
Disability Policy Officer
Chicago Park District
• Administrator
5 Ways to Make Your Park and Rec
Program More Inclusive and Accessible
Policies
 Staff Training
 Transportation
 Programming
 Equipment & Facilitates

Disability Facts





54 million Americans
 1 in 5 individuals has a disability
16% of people with disabilities use mobility devices
 Face the greatest number of physical barriers in the
community
49% of people with disabilities have either a vision or
hearing impairment
33% of people with disabilities have a major medical
condition
Majority of disabilities are “invisible”
Source: DBTAC-Great Lakes ADA Center




27 million people have a physical or sensory
disability
Over the next 15 years, an additional 60
million people will reach retirement age (i.e.
baby boomers)
Over 600,000 individuals with disabilities live
or work in Chicago
Close to 400,000 senior citizens live in
Chicago
Chicago Park District Core Values
Open – useable by all
Active – enhance active recreation opportunities
Green – environment-friendly practices, procedures
and materials
Connected – support, funding, partnerships
Park System












3 Regions
North – Central – South
582 parks
8,126 acres of park land
239 field houses
519 playgrounds
17 historic lagoons
24 miles of lakefront
18 miles of paved lakefront
trails
24 beaches/10 harbors
144 gymnasiums
75 fitness centers
77 swimming pools
POLICIES
Review and Development

Evaluate current policies to ensure they
address needs of people with disabilities
(PWDs)
 Service Animals
 Power-driven Mobility Devices
 Emergency Planning
Non-traditional Groups Protected
Under the ADA

Asthma - inhalers

Diabetes - monitoring

Severe Allergic Reactions - EpiPens
(Epinephrine auto injectors)

Take advantage of existing resources
 Best practices by other park districts/parks
departments
 Project Civic Access - DOJ
 Your local ADA Information Center

Being reactive could cost you more in the
long-run
Resources



Network of ADA Centers
(800) 949-4232
www.adata.org
U.S. Department of Justice
(800) 514-0301 (voice)
(800) 514-0383 (TTY)
www.ada.gov
U.S. Access Board
(800) 872-2253 (voice)
(800) 993-2822 (TTY)
(202) 272-0081 (fax)
www.access-board.gov
STAFF TRAINING
Why?

It is the right thing to do

Alleviate concerns of both disabled
consumers and staff

Reduce disability-related complaints
Types of Training





Disability Awareness & Etiquette
ADA Compliance
General policies and procedures (e.g. locker
rooms/bath houses)
Proper use of assistive equipment
Experiential learning (e.g. role playing)

Special Recreation Staff Training
 Crisis Prevention and Intervention
 Transfer Training
 Familiarity with various disability types
(e.g. Autism, deaf/HH, seizure disorder)

BlazeSports Certified Disability Sport
Specialist (CDSS)

Tools for the Trades
Cheat sheet/crib notes
 Standard ADA details cut sheet (e.g.
parking space dimensions/access
aisles/signage)
 Beach walk maintenance procedures
 Pool lift operations/repair procedures
 Photos depicting problem areas (e.g.
degraded pathways)

TRANSPORTATION
An Age Old Problem






Lack of an accessible vehicle
Policy prohibitions
Distance between participants’
homes/schools and target site
Societal norms tend to exclude PWDs from
mainstream activities
Carpooling complexities
Funding
Dealing with the Problem


Identifying Resources
 Partners with similar philosophies
 Link to ADA Para-transit service
 Door-to-door
 Travel training
Develop working knowledge of accessible
travel options (e.g. one lift-equipped bus vs.
two)

Retraining the parents
 Increase awareness
 History/Paralympic Movement
 Disability Sport Community
 Raise expectations
 Potential
 Long-term benefits
Programming
Developing Programming
Options/Choices



Inclusive
Segregated
Combination
Identification




Resources
 Facilities/equipment
 Experience/knowledge
Barriers/obstacles
 Real and perceived
Cross-disability differences
Potential Partners
Benefits of Participation

Athlete
Self-discipline
 Teamwork
 Leadership
 Sportsmanship
 Socialization


Professional
Work ethic
 Collaboration
 Management skills
 Flexibility
 Communication skills

Being Part of the Athlete
Development Continuum

The beginning
 Grassroots
 Athlete identification

The progression
 Recreation
 Lifelong health/fitness opportunities
Outreach to Disabled Community
(CPD Disability Advisory Committee)






Centers for Independent Living (CIL)
Sub-disability advocacy organizations
Local disabled sports teams/organizations
Municipal disabled services/advocacy agency
(e.g. Mayor’s Office for People with
Disabilities)
Veterans’ services organizations
Website/social media/electronic media
What are our goals?

Short-term

Long-term
CPD Goals

Short-term
 Expose current program participants to
additional adaptive sport and recreational
opportunities

Long-term
 To offer both integrated programming and
specialized opportunities for specific
disability populations

Short-term
 Outreach to active military and veteran
population of Chicago

Long-term
 Develop a veteran-based wheelchair
softball team for the 2012 season and
beyond
Partnership Development




Event support (e.g. one-time volunteers)
Programmatic development (on-going)
Mutually beneficial relationship
 Combine resources to eliminate gaps
Formalize partnerships on paper
 Define the relationship within the program
plan - Who will be responsible for what?



Communicate
 There will be adaptations from plan to
practice
 To minimize misimpressions,
misinterpretations and discord
Evaluate
 To ensure long-term success
Expand your network
 Continued partnerships
 Adding new partners
CPD Partners
World Sport Chicago
 Chicago Public Schools
 Chicago State University
 University of Illinois (Chicago & Urbana)
 Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago
 Midwest Wheelchair Sport & Social Club (MDWSSC)
 BlazeSports
 Judd Goldman Adaptive Sailing Program
 Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association (GLASA)
 Adaptive Adventures
 Illinois Department of Veterans Affairs
 Illinois Center for Rehabilitation & Education
 Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital
 Special Recreation Associations (SRANI)
 Chicago Indoor Rowing Championships/Lincoln Park Boat Club
 Creative Mobility/Project Mobility
 National Center on Physical Activity and Disability (NCPAD)

Partnership
Programs
Marketing Programs
(Getting the Word Out)

Use alternative forms of communication
Publicize programs through organizations that work with people
 with disabilities


Include non-discrimination policy in all general information publications

Include in announcements:
 Non-discrimination policy
 Site accessibility

TTY numbers
 Availability of alternative formats
 Deadline for accommodation requests


Expand accessibility information on website
All publications should include notice that: “This publication can be
made available upon request in alternate formats. Call # for assistance.”

Provide copy of access policy and implementation manual to all employees

Improve design of printed displays

Provide sign-language interpreter for major events, without waiting
for request

List TTY numbers and provide TTY training to staff

Establish contracts for communication services that can be used
throughout the department
Source: Recreation Management May/June 2005
Tips for Success




Provide programming options (i.e. choices)
Utilize special events to target specific
disability populations
Identify leaders (existing and potential) within
target disability populations
Discover what works for you and continue to
support it (i.e. sustainability)
Illinois SRA Levy (P.A. 93-612)

Property Tax-based Revenue

Architectural Barriers Removal

Programmatic Development

Inclusion/One-on-One Aides

Staff Support

Transportation

Equipment, etc.
Equipment & Facilities
Quick Thoughts

Self-evaluation and ADA Transition Plan

2010 Standards – Revised ADA

Progress review/updates
Moving Beyond the Norm

Fitness Centers
 Consider equipment type and placement

35 of 71 CPD
fitness centers
feature at least two
wheelchair
accessible pieces of
equipment

Golf Courses
 6 public courses = 6 single-rider golf cars
Lincoln Park
Boat Club Adaptive
Rowing Program
Accessible Launch
Temporary Venues






Signage
Path of Travel
Counter Height/Reach Range
Accidental Barriers
Unique Features/Elements
Coordination of Services/Communication
Signage
Mock-up of directional signage for wheeled
vehicles on pedestrian pathways
Maintaining an
accessible path of
travel…
…sometimes easier said
than done!
…try, try again
Counter Height/Reach Range
Accidental Barriers
Unique Features/Elements
Coordination of Services/
Communication
Summary
Policies
 Staff Training
 Transportation
 Programming
 Equipment & Facilitates

Q&A
Larry Labiak
Disability Policy Officer
Chicago Park District
541 N. Fairbanks Ct.
Chicago, IL 60611
312-742-5097
312-747-2001 (TTY)
larry.labiak@chicagoparkdistrict.com
Housekeeping Items
NRPA Connect
Housekeeping Items
Following this webinar you will receive an
email with a link to a survey. We would
appreciate you spending a few minutes
completing this follow-up survey in order to
help us improve our professional
development offerings.
Anyone interested in CEU’s must complete
the survey.
Thank You!
- Webinar Schedule June 20th, 2pm EDT
BlazeSports and the NWBA present:
Effective Assessment Techniques for Successful
Athlete, Team and Program Development
Speaker: Doug Garner, M.S.
Head Coach, University of Texas-Arlington
Wheelchair Basketball
THANK YOU!!