ADA Transition Plan

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)​ is a civil rights law that mandates equal opportunity for people​ with disabilities. The ADA prohibits discrimination in providing access to: 

• ​jobs
• public accommodations
• government services
• the built environment
• public transportation
• communications
• and more​

The purpose of this ADA Transition Plan​ is to guide the City in implementing and advancing the culture of inclusivity and accessibility for all. By removing potential barriers to the department’s services, it will be easier for persons with disabilities to participate in recreation. 

Project Overview​

Development of the Transition Plan began in May 2022 with site assessments and was completed in November 2023. Altura Solutions (Altura) is based in Austin, Texas and serves as the sole consultant providing project management and accessibility consulting services. Altura developed a plan to include the public through public meetings, open houses, and online surveys, and provide staff training opportunities regarding ADA Title II compliance.

About 100 existing programs, services and activities (PSAs) have been collected through interviews and feedback from 13 Parks divisions. From May to July 2022, Ann Arbor Parks & Recreation parks and facilities were assessed using the 2010 Standards for Accessible Design and the Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines. Inspection reports were developed for each facility including: identification of barriers, recommendations for remediation, and actions for the recommended remediation. All information can be found in the transition plan documents below.

Recommendations​

The Plan provides recommendations to facilitate the City’s Parks and Recreation Department in complying with ADA Title II requirements. The following actions are the recommendations that the City can take to have an immediate impact of ADA compliance:

1. Appoint a full-time ADA Coordinator or person responsible for implementing the Plan. (Hired October, 2023)
   • ​Tracy Byrd, City of Ann Arbor Accessibility Coordinator 
   • [email protected] | 734.864.2927
     
2. ​Formalize an ADA Liaison system within the department. (Appointed January, 2024)​
   • Sarah Stewart, Recreation Supervisor (Parks ADA Liaison) 
     
   • [email protected] | 734.794.6230 x42593
     
3. Commit consistent funding annually for the next 30 years to achieve program access
4. Create a system to track ADA Accommodation requests and track the progress of request.
   

View the plan in sections below: 
ADA Transition Plan Report (PDF)

Appendix 1 – Public Input Summary (PDF)

Appendix 2 – List of Parks and Facilities Inspected (PDF)

Appendix 3 – Reports for Parks and Facilities (PDF)

Appendix 4 – PSA Checklist (PDF)

Appendix 5 – PSA Reports​ ​(PDF)

Appendix 6 – Prioritized Facilities (PDF)​