Photo Credit: Courtesy of Robert Cohen Co., LLC, Alburquerque, N.M.
Sure, your indoor rec area complies with ADA regulations. The bathrooms, water fountains, and doors are accessible. The parking lots have handicap-friendly parking, and there are curb cuts where necessary. Where stairs once might have posed a problem for users, there are now ramps and elevators. But even with all of these amenities, is your facility really welcoming to visitors?
With adapted sports programs on the rise, it's likely that not only athletes but also spectators with mobility limitations will be using the facility. And it's essential to remember that today's spectators may well be tomorrow's athletes, particularly if they see participants having a great time. Even if they're not, they look forward to the games and events, and keep coming back. Happy spectators make a game much more enjoyable.
Address The Obvious
So where do you start in making a facility welcoming to spectators with some limitations? By thinking like them. Things you might take for granted can be formidable obstacles--or at the very least, inconveniences--to someone in a wheelchair, on crutches, etc.