[From my July 29 article in the Colchester Bulletin]
This past Monday marked the 20th anniversary of the landmark legislation that ushered in a new era of equal access for a large segment of our population. On July 26, 1990 Congress signed into law the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which sought to ensure that disabled individuals have every opportunity to live, work, learn and play as the rest of the community. Over the years, it has had a significant and positive impact on how parks and recreation services are delivered and facilities are developed, opening the doors to increased health benefits for a whole new audience.
This far reaching law covers five areas: employment, public services, public accommodations, telecommunications and a miscellaneous category covering a number of areas. In one form or another, each of these sections has had impacted our field, with many examples right here in Colchester.
Perhaps one of most well-known and beneficial effects of this law is to create a level playing field with regards to the hiring process. Since the implementation of the ADA, employers are no longer permitted to discriminate based on disability when selecting candidates. If a potential employee is capable of performing the essential job tasks with reasonable accommodations, then the employer is required to make such adjustments. These accommodations can include such things as making a work site accessible, modifying a piece of equipment, or providing readers or interpreters.
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Titles II and III of the ADA focuses on ensuring that all facilities, programs and services are accessible to disabled citizens. In particular, Title II addresses state and local governments, while Title III expands the reach to private entities that serve the general public, such as restaurants, private schools, recreational facilities, etc. Certainly, these cover all that Colchester Parks & Recreation has to offer, from our many programs and events, to the variety of facilities we maintain.
Of course, one of the more challenging, yet extremely important, requirements of the law revolves around ensuring that all facilities are accessible. Typically this is accomplished by making sure that a person in a wheelchair can make his or her way to virtually any part of a public facility. One area that has come lightyears over the past two decades is playground accessibility. The “boundless playground” movement spurred by this legislation has helped to develop ground surfacing materials and playground equipment that now invite wheelchair-bound children into the fun, rather than forcing them to watch from the sidelines.
Additionally, schools have been transformed, from classrooms to the athletic facilities. In fact, over the last few years, Bacon Academy has been undergoing a transformation, altering and renovating many inaccessible sites. Our department is overseeing the many improvements that are being made on the grounds, from correcting parking spaces to addressing walkways and ramps that are too steep. In the near future, the bleachers at the track will be enhanced to properly accommodate additional spectators that need assistance.
As our department’s Inclusion Policy states, “Colchester Parks and Recreation recognizes that every person is unique and brings with them a wide range of skills and abilities. We continually strive to provide challenging experiences so that all can achieve their full potential. As such we encourage and support individuals with disabilities to fully participate in all programs offered by our department. Please let us know how we can accommodate you.”
We achieve this through individual consultation with any interested participant that might need special assistance to take part in our programs, and working together to find a solution. We invite and encourage anyone considering our programs, but fear that there might be a barrier to participation, to let us know how we can make it possible. We look forward to working with you and the entire community to celebrate and honor this momentous anniversary.
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