009-1999 LTC
CITY OF MIAMI BEACH
CITY HALL 1700 CONVENTION CENTER DRIVE MIAMI BEACH, FLORIDA 33139
http:\\ci.miami-beach.f1,us
L.T.C. No. 9-1999
LETTER TO COMMISSION
January 15, 1999
TO: Mayor Neisen O. Kasdin and
Members of the City C mmission
FROM: Sergio Rodriguez
City Manager
SUBJECT: Outdoor Developed Areas Regulatory Negotiation Committee
We are pleased to inform you that on January 19 through January 22, 1999 the United States Federal
Access Board, Outdoor Regulatory Subcommittee will be meeting at our beautiful Miami Beach
Botanical Garden Center.
The Board charges this 25-member committee with reaching consensus on proposed accessibility
guidelines for outdoor developed areas under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Specific
areas under discussion include accessibility guidelines for trails, picnic and camping areas, and
beaches. These meetings are open to the public and public comment is welcomed allowing a unique
opportunity for local park and recreation personnel to observe and have input into standards that will
ultimately impact beach accessibility.
The Parks and Recreation Department continues to be partners in programs and activities for people
with disabilities throughout Miami-Dade County,
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F:\CMGR\$ALL\L TC.99\ACCESS.L TC
United States
Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board
1331 F Street, NW . Washington, DC 20004-1111. 202-272-5434 (Voice) · 202-272-5449 (TOO) · 202-272-5447 (FAX)
November 18, 1998
Ms. Diana Richardson, Director
Office of ADA Coordination
Miami Dade County
III Northwest, 1 st Street,
Suite 348, 12th Floor
Miami, FL 33128
Dear Diana:
The U.S. Access Board appreciates all of your assistance with our upcoming
meeting of the Outdoor Developed Areas Regulatory Negotiation Committee. The
Board charges this 25-member committee with reaching consensuses on proposed
accessibility guidelines for outdoor developed areas under the Americans with
Disabilities Act (ADA). Specific areas under discussion include accessibility
guidelines for trails, picnic and camping areas, and beaches. We anticipate that the
committee will complete their work and present a fmal report to the Board in July
1999.
Thanks to your assistance and the support of the City of Miami, Division of
Recreation, Culture, and Parks, we will hold our next committee meeting at the
Miami Beach Botanical Gardens on January 19-22, 1999. The site and location are
extremely appropriate given our meeting agenda that includes a discussion about
beach access. As you know, we may also be interested in taking a field trip to some
local sites to observe how access on beaches has been provided.
The meeting is open to the public and we hold a formal public comment
period at the end of each day. We encourage you to get the word out to local
operators, persons with disabilities, and others with interest in this topic. This is an
excellent opportunity for the public to participate in the process.
The Access Board
I have enclosed some material about the committee and the Access Board for
your information. We can provide other material, if necessary.
Again, we thank you and the City of Miami Beach for your assistance and
look forward to working with you on the meeting. The committee members are also
looking forward to visiting your sunny and warm city during January!
Sincerely,
~ )a))y~AL+J)
Peg~~ H. Greenwell
Training CoordinatorlDesignated
Federal Official
c: Kevin Smith, Director of Recreation, Culture, and Parks
City of Miami Beach
Enclosures
About the Access Board
A FEDERAL AGENCY COMMITTED TO ACCESSIBLE DESIGN
1331 F Street, NW, Suite 1000 . Washington, DC 20004-1111 . www.access-board.gov
202-272-5434 (Voice) . 202-272-5449 (TTY) .202-272-5447 (Fax)
The Access Board is an independent Federal agency devoted to accessibility for people with disabilities. It operates with
about 30 staff and a governing board of representatives from Federal departments and public members appointed by the
President. Key missions of the Board include:
· developing and maintaining accessibility guidelines for the built environment, transit vehicles,
telecommunications equipment, and standards for electronic and information technology
· providing technical assistance and training on these guidelines and standards
· enforcing design star.dards for federally funded facilities
LAWS
Several different laws are key to understanding the work of the Board:
The Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 The ABA requires access to facilities designed, built, altered, I
or leased with Federal funds. The Board develops minimum accessibility guidelines under this law. Through
the investigation of complaints, the Board also enforces the design standards based on its guidelines, the
Uniform Federal Accessibility Standards (UFAS).
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 The ADA is a major civil rights law prohibiting n;n
discrimination on the basis of disability in the private and public sectors. Under the ADA, the Board develops
and maintains accessibility guidelines for buildings, facilities, and transit vehicles and provides technical ,A,
assistance and training on these guidelines. The ADA Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) serve as the basis of
standards issued by the departments of Justice and Transportation to enforce the law. The building guidelines
cover places of public accommodation, commercial facilities, and State and local government facilities. The ~
vehicle guidelines address buses, vans, a variety of rail vehicles, trams, and other modes of public ~
transportation.
The Telecommunications Act of 1996 Section 255 of this law requires that new telecommunications [I
and customer premises equipment be accessible where "readily achievable." The Board develops and
maintains accessibility guidelines for such equipment. The Federal Communications Commission enforces this
la~ .
The Rehabilitation Act Amendments of 1998 This law expands and strengthens section 508 of the ~
Rehabilitation Act, which covers access to electronic and information technology provided by the Federal
government. The Board is responsible for developing accessibility standards for such technology. These
standards will become part of the regulations governing Federal procurement practices.
OVER
United States
Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance
Board
1331 F Street, NW . Washington, DC 20004-1111 .202-272-5434 (Voice) . 202-272-5449 (TTY) . 202-272-5447
(Fax) Info@Access-Board.gov (E-Mail) · http://www.access-board.gov (Website)
Regulatory Negotiation Committee
on Outdoor Developed Areas
June 1997
Organization
Representative
City, State
Berkeley, CA
Blue Ridge, V A
Santa Cruz, CA
American Society of Landscape Architects
American Camping Association
Susan Goltsman
Everett M, Wemess
American Trails
Peter Axelson
Appalachian Trail Conference
Association for Blind Athletes
Peter S. Jensen
Great Barrington, MA
Martinsville, IN
Ray Bloomer
Hawaii Commission on Persons with Disabilities
Francine Wai
Honolulu, HI
National Association of State Park Directors
Pat Crawford
Billings, MT
Jefferson City, MO
KOA, Inc,
Patrick Hittmeier
National Association of State Trail Administrators
Stuart H. Macdonald
Denver, CO
National Center on Accessibility
Gary M, Robb
Martinsville, IN
National Council on Independent Living
National Recreation and Park Association
Tracy R. Justesen
Des Moines, IA
Edward J, Hamilton
Bloomington, IN
National Spinal Cord Injury Association
Sydney Jacobs
Adelphi, MD
Albany, NY
New York State Department of Environmental
Conservation
Raymond E. Davis
Paralyzed Veterans of America
Kim Beasley
Washington, DC
Partners for Access to the Woods
Carol Hunter
Empire, CO
Rails to Trails Conservancy
Kathe Hetterick
Wayzata, MN
State of Washington, Interagency Committee for
Outdoor Recreation
Rory D. Calhoun
Olympia, W A
The Access Board
Organization Representative
T ASH Cindy Burkhour
V.S, Anny Corps of Engineers Judith Rice
V,S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Ruth Doyle
U.S. Department of Interior, National Park Service David C. Park
V,S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Christopher B, Douwes
Achninistration
Whole Access Phyllis Cangemi
Access Board Member Marilyn Golden
Access Board Designated Federal Official Peggy H. Greenwell
2
City, State
Jenison, MI
Washington, DC
Washington, DC
Washington, DC
Washington, DC
Redwood City, CA
Oakland, CA
Washington, DC
For Immediate Release
July 3, 1997
Contact: Ola
Tel: (202) 272-5434 x 39
TTY: (202) 272-5449
E-mail: ola@access-board.gov
Access to Trails. Campl!rounds the Focus of Federal Committee
Washington, D.C...
Last week, the U.S. Architectural and Transportation Barriers Compliance Board (Access Board)
convened a federal regulatory negotiation committee to help it write accessibility guidelines under
the Americans with Disabilities Act for outdoor developed areas such as campgrounds, trails, and
beaches. The committee is comprised of organizations representing private facility owners and
operators; people with disabilities; state, local, and federal government agencies; and others whom
the guidelines will affect. Its 25members will spend the next year determining at what level access
should be provided to such areas when they are built or altered in the future.
The Access Board has agreed to publish, as a proposed rule, any guidelines upon which this
diverse group can come to consensus. The public will then be asked to comment on the proposed
rule, and those comments will be used to write a final rule. Once adopted by the U.S. Department
of Justice, the fmal guidelines will apply to all newly constructed or altered outdoor developed
areas covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, which applies to privately-owned public
accommodations as well as facilities run by state and local governments. The requirements will
apply to federal facilities under another law, the Architectural Barriers Act (ABA), which is
enforced by the Access Board.
Patrick D. Cannon is Chairman of the Access Board, the federal agency responsible for
developing and maintaining accessibility guidelines under both the ADA and ABA. "Outdoor
recreation has long been an important part of American life. Until passage of the ADA, however,
access to areas like walking trails, campgrounds, and beaches has been severely limited for people
with disabilities," says Cannon. "This committee will have the opportunity to change that. The
decisions made by this diverse group of people working together will affect how millions of
families across the nation will explore the outdoors and learn about their world."
More..,more...more...
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Access to Trails
Cannon sees regulatory negotiation, a rulemaking process in which the people most affected by
the regulations actually develop and draft the proposed rule, as a natural extension of the work
the Access Board has already been doing. It is also, says Cannon, a prime example of good
government in operation. "The Board is well known for working closely with the people our
guidelines impact. By asking these organizations to develop the proposed rule themselves," he
says, "the Access Board builds true and meaningful consensus around the ADA requirements."
The next meeting of the regulatory negotiation committee will be held on September 24-26 in
Colorado. All meetings will be open to the public, and public conunent time will be available each
day.
The Access Board is an independent Federal agency. The Access Board is charged with
developing and maintaining guidelines for accessibility under the ADA, the ABA, and the
Teleconununications Act of 1996. The Access Board also provides technical assistance and
training on removing architectural, transportation, and conununication barriers.
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