In a decisive push towards inclusivity, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has given the green light to an initiative aimed at tearing down barriers—quite literally—that residents with disabilities face when trying to enjoy the county's parks. Authored by Supervisor Janice Hahn and coauthored by Supervisor Kathryn Barger, this new directive that was unanimously voted in calls for accessible design guidelines to be co-developed for both new and existing parks within the County, reports GovDelivery.
Hahn's resolve to put forward the motion emerged following a harrowing episode involving Carlos Benavides, one of her appointees on the Commission on Disabilities, Benavides, who faced a dangerous situation due to an inadequate ramp at a Cerritos park that nearly caused a serious mishap. "Our County parks are the heart of our communities. But it's clear that right now, not everyone can fully enjoy them safely. That's not acceptable," Hahn told GovDelivery.
To turn these guidelines into actionable items, the formation of the Parks Accessibility Task Force has been sanctioned; the group will be composed of insightful individuals who have first-hand knowledge of the challenges at hand including five commissioners from the Commission on Disabilities, representatives from the City of Los Angeles and members of the County's Departments of Parks and Recreation and Aging and Disabilities. Supervisor Kathryn Barger underlined the importance of this endeavor, "We must ensure our public parks and spaces can accommodate and proactively offer a range of mobility and sensory experiences for all ages," she said in a statement obtained by GovDelivery, "It’s how we can continue to create welcoming and inclusive communities."
The scope of the improvements isn't just confined to outdoor spaces; one of the practical outcomes of this motion is the creation of inclusive programming within the county gyres, where residents with disabilities will have access to adaptive equipment, enabling them to engage in sports such as wheelchair basketball. All of this will be established in at least one gym located in each of the five supervisorial districts which is a move that punctuates the county's vision of accessible recreational offerings as shown in Barger's presentation featuring an adaptive sports program from her district. Los Angeles County boasts an extensive network of 182 parks and a myriad of recreational facilities.
