The Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation's, Universal Access Program (UAP) has taken a systematic approach to reach its goals to create fully accessible system of forests and parks across the state. Created in 1995 by Tom McCarthy, ASLA, the Universal Access Program began its distinctive approach to solving the problems of creating accessibility in outdoor recreation environments by combining the disciplines of Landscape Architecture, adaptive equipment design, and outdoor recreation leadership. This unique combination provides a forward thinking vision regarding recreational uses that are new or not yet completely developed when designing facility improvements. By working as a multidisciplinary team and having an overall recreation focus, we seek to ensure that the true experiences of outdoor recreation are available for everyone.

Universal Access Program continues to foster Universal Design solutions in the built environment by creating recreation settings that work for everyone regardless of age or ability, integrating adaptive recreation equipment, creating accessible recreation programs and developing symbiotic partnerships with other land management agencies and nonprofit recreation service providers that share a vision of accessible natural environments. This approach establishes a cyclical framework that fosters a continuous expansion of a fully inclusive society.

The often times conflicting needs and requirements of protecting public open spaces and providing accessibility to outdoor recreation for people with special needs can find common ground in new solutions that move beyond designing for independent access by providing a range of assistive programs and adaptive recreation equipment within the recreation landscape. Merging the expertise and interests of Landscape Architecture, Adaptive Design and Inclusive Adventure Recreation has produced new and creative, low impact and high satisfaction, outdoor leisure opportunities. Activity focused design such as access routes intended for snow covered environments that include transfer points where individuals can easily and comfortably move into specialized winter recreation equipment such as cross-country sit ski's and Nordic style kick sleds. Or trailhead settings designed with the needs of individuals with mobility impairments in mind for program origination points that utilize adaptive trail wheelchairs or special walking aids to assist with assistive hiking programs along typical, non-accessible, wilderness trails for today's population of individuals with diverse abilities.

Key items that have helped create an exemplary system of recreation opportunities for visitors to Massachusetts State and Urban Parks include:

1. A construct developed to address accessibility for people of all abilities to one of the largest state parks systems in the country as envisioned to address an egalitarian approach to providing access to Massachusetts' 450,000 acres of forests, parks, greenways, historic sites and landscapes, seashores, lakes, ponds, reservoirs and watersheds. This approach involved the development of a satellite system of park improvements that built from a base of five geographic regions.

2. A statewide system of parks institutionalizing Universal Accessibility and Design in natural areas by creating an independent office that consists of accessibility and design experts. This included landscape architects, educators and recreation leaders along with an official civil rights component.

3. The growth and utilization of adaptive recreation equipment . 25 years ago this equipment, for all intents and purposes, did not exist. Today you will find sophisticated adaptations and special equipment designed for all types of indoor and outdoor recreation. From multiple varieties of adaptive bicycles and tricycles to sailboats and skiing equipment these products have devolved from one-off adaptations of existing medical equipment to sleek and beautiful, mass-produced product lines that enjoy wide public appreciation that goes beyond the disability is community.

4. The recruiting and training of staff to provide the crucial component of coordinated program solutions, that include the development and maintenance of accessibility improvements in the parks, management and distribution of adaptive equipment, and coordination with the recreation departments and divisions to deliver assistive programs for people of all abilities.

Visitors with disabilities have substantially increased in number since the development of a system-wide model that focuses on the components and organization of universally accessible outdoor recreation in the natural world . Various strategies for providing access to developed forests and urban park landscapes as well as undeveloped wilderness, such as the creation of training programs for park staff to educate them to the availability of off-the-shelf accessibility items such as modular boardwalks and rollout beach matting along with the special needs and sensitivity awareness related to park visitors with disabilities. The development of low impact accessible activities such as adaptive hiking that allows people with disabilities to experience wilderness trails that have not been altered for decades. The utilization of new and adaptive outdoor recreation equipment such as rowing and sculling equipment, adaptive cycling gear, and a variety of winter recreation apparatus in conjunction with the key role played by Inclusive Adventure Outdoor Recreation providers who have a unique skill set including individuals who are trained in outdoor leadership, first responders skills, in addition to adaptive equipment use and working with individuals with special needs.

The overall planning and design involved in creating a statewide system of accessible parks expanded from the concept of developing a plan for constructed physical solutions to a much wider vision of constantly creating better and better ways to deliver the true experience of outdoor recreation and interface with the natural world. The success of this program is credited to the broad base of training and experience in planning and multi-disciplinary teams that is inherent in the work of landscape architecture, and adaptive recreation.

Tom McCarthy
Director
Universal Access Program
MA Dept. of Conservation and Recreation
P.O.Box 484
Amherst , MA 01004   USA

E-mail:  thomas.j.mccarthy@state.ma.us