Accessibility Assignment: (30 points)

Due: March 24th, 2024 11:59 PM EST 

This assignment addresses your Global Awareness Outcome, Students will be able to conduct a multi-perspective analysis (locally and internationally) of physical and programmatic accessibility for people with disabilities within the context of recreation, leisure, and sport facilities.

The purpose of this project is to provide students an opportunity to apply their knowledge about inclusion and accessibility. Students will complete a physical and programmatic accessibility survey utilizing the ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities  (https://fiu.instructure.com/courses/188370/files/29748970/download?verifier=h2L1BFPExuiXuoex8jpWffacBToUpEIIb6aJCLwV&wrap=1)of a recreation, leisure or sport-based facility (e.g. park, community center, museum, hotel/resort, stadium, library, etc.).These surveys can be used to help include people with disabilities in community recreation and sport programs and a summary of findings, recommendations for compliance, and an analysis of the spirit of the ADA will be reported in a paper. A letter synthesizing the findings will also be written to the facility manager.

Please visit the ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities Website (https://www.adachecklist.org/checklist.html) to view the ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities. 

Procedure:

    1    Students may work individually or in pairs at one site to complete the ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities . If you work in pairs, you will each need to submit a completed ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities.  Each student must also individually develop, write, and submit their own unique paper and letter, submit their own pictures and floor plan/map. The only time you will be working together on this project is at the site to complete the actual ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities and Recreational Checklist.

    2    Choose a recreation, leisure, or sport setting to conduct the Accessibility Assignment. Please note: FIU facilities will NOT be permitted for this assignment. In addition, Tamiami Park and YMCA South Dade will not be NOT permitted for this assignment this semester. Please choose from a local park and recreation department, non-profit recreation facility, or a private recreation facility. Examples include a park, recreation community center, stadium, ballpark, bowling alley, fitness center or gym, library, museum, hotel/resort, etc.) The older the facility, the more interesting it will be for you. Also, do not choose a building that was newly built in the past year.

NOTE: THE SITE CHOOSEN IS :

Address:

North Beach City Park , 

111 S Surf Rd

Hallandale Beach, FL 33009

United States

    3    Each student must submit your building name and address in Accessibility Assignment: Building Site Approval

    4    A Zoom Video Conference Meeting for reviewing the assignment and answering questions. Zoom Video Conference: Week 7. This meeting will be recorded if a student is unable to attend. The recording will be posted in the Announcements. 

    5    Obtain necessary permission from the facility site (supervisor, manager) to conduct your survey. Make an appointment with the appropriate staff person to conduct the ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities. If they do not give permission, please let me know that you are changing your site. Sometimes this happens as they might not feel comfortable being surveyed even though it is for educational purposes only. And it is okay if they do not want you to, just make sure you have another building/facility site as a backup and keep me informed. You may also have them email me with questions at, [email protected] (mailto:[email protected]).

    6    Before you visit your site and conduct your ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities, open and review the checklist in its entirety and make sure your chosen site fits. Specifically review the directions of what you will generally need to take to the site, how to measure, etc.

    7    You can conduct the ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities in two ways: – You can print the checklist before you visit the site. However, you will need to type the results into the word file after you finish your survey of the site. Or if you can take your computer to the site, you can check boxes directly in the word file. (And make sure to keep saving your data!) If you use your computer at the site, you will also need to take extra notes in a notebook that will help you when you write your paper.

    8    Each student (even if you work in pairs) must submit both completed word files (ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities) with your paper to receive credit for this entire assignment! Do not turn this in blank! Save the completed ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities word file with your first and last name and the word “checklist.” For example, lauren_ortega_checklist.doc. 

    9    While at your site, each student must take at least 5 pictures with a digital device (camera or phone) of different areas you are surveying in your ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities (e.g. parking lot, entrances, doors, ramps, restroom stalls, elevators, water fountains, etc.). One of these 5 must include a picture of yourself at the site to get credit for the entire assignment! Each student will need to submit his/her own pictures as part of this assignment in his/her individual journal.

    10    While you are at your site, obtain or draw a bird’s eye view/floor plan/map of your site or building and provide labels of areas. Your facility may also have a floor plan/map on their website you can submit. Each student will need to submit this floor plan/map as part of this assignment (if in pairs you can submit the same floor plan/map but submit it individually in each of your journals). You can turn in the floor plan/map several ways:

    ◦    You can scan and submit your original drawing

    ◦    You can redraw your plan digitally in a word document on the computer and then submit this

    ◦    You can turn in the sites floor plan/map from the website or as a photo (this would be in addition to the 5 photos you turn in above)

    11    Each student must develop his/her own unique paper!!! It will be no less than 4 and no more than 6, typed and double-spaced with consecutively numbered pages in APA format (not including cover page or reference page). An individually written professional letter to the facility manager will also be included at the end of the paper but not count towards this page limit.  Your paper will also be uploaded to Turnitin for grading purposes. If your paper shows plagiarism (from any content that is not cited from its appropriate source and/or that is copied directly from other students’ paper(s) in Turnitin, you will receive a 0 for the entire project and/or fail the course.

    12    In summary, for this Accessibility Assignment, each student will submit a completed ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities, paper (with letter) in one document, 5 photos (with one of the student in it), and the view/floor plan directly in his/her journal entry (to make sure I have all the documents in one area). The completed ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities (word file), 5 photos, and view/floor plan and will be graded in the journal (worth up to 5 points). Each student will also upload his/her paper (with letter) in one document to Turnitin and it will be graded there (worth up to 25 points).

Instructions for the Accessibility Paper and Letter: (25 points)

Note: For parts b and c (barriers and recommendations to improve upon the barrier), you will need to indicate where in the ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities  (i.e. the standard # in the checklist) the barrier/recommendation is discussed.

You must organize your paper using the following headings a-d (APA style):

    1    Advantages:(5 points) Describe those aspects from your survey of the recreation setting (physical and programmatic), that have been made accessible and would provide opportunities for inclusive recreation participation. Make sure to include the summary of the positive/accessible areas from each priority of your completed ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities and Recreational Checklist.

    2    Barriers: (5 points) Describe the physical and programmatic barriers that are present that would inhibit or limit participation by people with disabilities. Identify people with disabilities who may be influenced by these barriers, and how they would be influenced. Make sure to include the summary of the inaccessible areas and the Standard # in that area from each priority of your completed ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities or Recreational Checklist.

    3    Accessibility Recommendations: (5 points) Provide a list of specific recommendations for how the agency could improve accessibility based on the barriers you found. Again, using the Standard #, designate which of your recommendations should be implemented to be in compliance with the law. Also, indicate which of your recommendations, although not legally required, would be in keeping with the spirit of the law, and would reflect a general commitment to inclusive recreation participation.

    4    Grammar: (2.5 points)

    5    APA Format: (2.5 points)

Professional Letter to Facility Manager: (5 points)

    1    Each student must also write a professional letter (a few paragraphs) to the manager/person in charge of the facility. The purpose of the letter is to thank him/her for assisting you with this learning opportunity. Also, provide and accentuate the positive outcomes that you found as a result of completing the checklist and provide a brief summary of what you found that could be changed. This will be turned in as the last page of your paper after your reference list and is NOT part of your page limit. Do NOT send the letter to the

facility. After I grade and provide feedback on your project, you can make changes to the letter and send it to the facility manager if you feel comfortable doing so. Please refer to the following resource in formatting your professional letter:

part 2: Please submit the following items here for your Accessibility Assignment:

• Insert your 5 pictures of your site of areas surveyed from the ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities and you must be in one to receive credit for this portion of the project.

• Insert (as picture) or attach (as document) your floor plan.

• Attach your completed ADA Checklist for Existing Facilities. Double check to see if the completed document has been submitted or else you will not get credit for this project. 

• Paper and letter in one document 

This portion of your assignment is worth 5 points.