Able News Column September 2024 – Fighting for Parks Access for All
Read the entire September 2024 Able News Issue
I’m sure many of you have had experiences like I have when invited to an outdoor barbecue party at a park. You arrive and find good food on the picnic table, beverages, and friends you want to connect with. Then you check out the bathroom and find out that it is woefully inaccessible. Instead of getting to sit back and enjoy the party, you make quick rounds to say hello, have a few bites, and then leave early. This experience not only feels bad, but it’s also illegal.
Parks should be accessible to all of us, and DRA has been fighting for many years to ensure that they are. In 2008, DRA filed a lawsuit on behalf of people with mobility and vision disabilities who were unable to fully participate in the Golden Gate National Recreation Area’s (GGNRA’s) park system due to pervasive barriers at its parks, facilities, and programs. After approximately six years of legal work, DRA and the National Park Service entered into a landmark settlement agreement that significantly improved access to GGNRA for thousands of visitors with mobility and vision disabilities.
This agreement was the first in the country that promised to increase access to a federal park system. It included a range of accessibility provisions, including wheelchair access to trails, beach access at popular beaches, beach wheelchairs and beach mats, It also called for braille, audio and tactile orientation signs, guides, and route maps; expanded access reviews for new construction; and a dedicated maintenance fund to ensure that existing and new access features are in an accessible condition.
At the end of July this year, DRA continued our pursuit of accessible parks. On the 34th anniversary of the ADA, we, on behalf of three people with mobility disabilities and the organization Communities Actively Living Independent and Free (CALIF), filed a federal class action lawsuit against the City of Los Angeles for denying them full and equal access to the City’s newly constructed and renovated public park facilities.
Los Angeles’s construction and alterations make it difficult or impossible to obtain the health benefits and social support of this important community asset for all of us with mobility disabilities. In the words of plaintiff Olivia Almalel, “As a wheelchair user, I’m disappointed that I have to sue for access to open public spaces … Parks are for fun, recreation and the enjoyment of all who live in our beautiful city.”
DRA will be working closely with Olivia and our other clients in the months ahead to ensure that the City’s multiple, pervasive and hazardous physical access barriers comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, and California laws that have been in place for decades.
Here’s to enjoying the last days of summer in our parks and wherever you chose to recreate—with equal access!