CLASS DESCRIPTION
Parks and trails are meant to be welcoming spaces for everyone—but ensuring true accessibility requires thoughtful planning, informed design, and a clear understanding of ADA requirements. This session explores how parks of all sizes can provide inclusive recreational opportunities for people with disabilities while remaining functional, beautiful, and sustainable.
Through real-world case studies, this presentation highlights successful ADA-compliant park and trail projects from communities across the country. Attendees will learn practical strategies for improving accessibility, understand common challenges agencies face, and gain insight into what actually works in the field—whether projects were driven by proactive planning, renovations, or accessibility complaints.
Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Understand key ADA requirements as they apply to parks and trails
- Identify common accessibility challenges and how to address them
- Apply proven design strategies that enhance inclusion without sacrificing usability
- Learn from real-world case studies of successful ADA-compliant projects
- Evaluate when accessibility upgrades should be proactive versus complaint-driven
ABOUT THE PRESENTER
Kristi Avalos, founder and CEO of Accessology, is a nationally renowned leader in providing accessibility-related services and is a sought-after speaker with a knack for using an upbeat approach to help others understand the complexities of compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). With over 40 years of experience, she provides expert witnessing on ADA, 504, Federal Housing Administration, and Air Carrier Access Act legal cases. In 1990 Kristi founded Accessology which is a national leader in providing accessibility consulting services and is one of the largest U.S. firms dedicated solely to accessibility and access issues. Since its founding, Accessology has worked closely with the Department of Justice and the U.S. Access Board to remain knowledgeable and adept with the constant changes that occur regarding ADA guidelines. Accessology has worked on numerous multi‐million-dollar projects to impact accessibility compliance during all stages from schematics to construction and final inspections. Since 2005 Accessology has specialized in the development, execution, and monitoring of the required ADA Transition Plans for Title II entities to help them avoid access-related litigation since so much litigation is tied to not having a Transition Plan on file. Kristi Avalos and her team at Accessology are committed to removing structural and attitudinal barriers that adversely impact people with disabilities.