NY parks need upgrades for those with disabilities, audit finds. What changes are needed?
Dozens of parks across New York have restrooms, parking lots, trails and other amenities that need upgrades to become more accessible to visitors with disabilities, a state audit found.
Investigators found that 62% of amenities at parks reviewed could be improved to enhance accessibility. These included correcting mislabeled accessible signage, fixing rough or uneven access routes, increasing the number of wheelchair accessible stalls in restrooms, and adding more accessible, clearly labeled parking spaces.
While the parks examined generally met the federal minimum standards, auditors found they could be significantly improved to make them far more accessible, state Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli said in a statement.
“New York State strives to promote inclusivity and broad access to all the resources it has to offer, and this includes our state parks and historic sites,” he added.
What accessibility problems exist at NY parks?
Auditors investigated accessibility issues at 40 parks statewide, examining nearly 1,500 amenities. They uncovered about 900 features that would benefit from accessibility improvements.
Among the findings:
A total of 70% of the 124 amenities investigated in the Finger Lakes had potential accessibility improvements uncovered.
That percentage of potential improvements was varied from 52% to 78% for parks across the Southern Tier, Mohawk Valley and Hudson Valley.
Parks in the Palisades region in the Hudson Valley needed the most upgrades (78%) while parks in the Capitol region and New York City were in the best shape (44% and 47%, respectively.)
The state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, which oversees more than 250 parks and historic sites statewide, also failed to establish grievance procedures as required by the federal Americans with Disabilities Act.
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Although the state agency provided a general complaint form and email address for patrons to contact, it had not established or published procedures to ensure fair and prompt resolution of complaints, as required, auditors noted.
Instead, each park developed its own process for handling and tracking complaints, which makes it difficult to determine if they were adequately addressed. Auditors reviewed 27 complaints at 14 parks, revealing that little had been done to address the complaints.
What NY parks are doing right
Amid the need for upgrades at many parks, some other parks had already taken steps to improve accessibility, auditors found.
For example, many beaches and pools had wheelchairs available and mats were put down to improve access to the water. Signage for such amenities were prominent at some parks, while others offered unique amenities.
For example, Midway State Park in Chautauqua County offered a wheelchair accessible playground, and Letchworth State Park had an autism nature trail, featuring sensory stations to help children with autism and all visitors explore nature. Braille was also on all signage along the trail.
As for the dozens of parks with problems, the state parks agency agreed with the audit’s recommendations, and as a result will conduct a multi-faceted review of its policies, facilities, and programs to improve accessibility, DiNapoli added.
For further details about accessibility issues at New York parks, visit the comptroller's website at osc.state.ny.us.
This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: NY parks need accessibility upgrades, audit finds. Check local parks
