County moves to make parks more accessible for residents with disabilities

Janice Hahn and Carlos Benavides at Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Downey last year.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved a motion last week authored by Supervisor Janice Hahn and coauthored by Supervisor Kathryn Barger that directs the county's Department of Parks and Recreation and Department of Aging and Disabilities to jointly develop guidelines in collaboration with the county's Commission on Disabilities that include accessible design recommendations for the county's future parks and for renovations to existing parks.

Hahn was motivated to present the motion after an incident last year in which one of her commissioners to the Commission on Disabilities, Carlos Benavides, nearly toppled over in his wheelchair after attempting to use an inadequate ramp at a county park in Cerritos.

"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," said Hahn. "We need to be better and do better to make our county facilities welcoming and safe for people with disabilities."

The Departments of Parks and of Aging and Disabilities will create the Parks Accessibility Task Force, to be composed of five commissioners from the Commission on Disabilities (one from each district), two commissioners from the City of Los Angeles, and the two departments. The goal of the task force is to provide input from people living with disabilities on the new accessible design recommendations.

“This motion is another step towards increasing the variety of activities and recreational opportunities offered to children and adults of all abilities at our county parks,” said Barger. “We must ensure our public parks and spaces can accommodate and proactively offer a range of mobility and sensory experiences for all ages. It’s how we can continue to create welcoming and inclusive communities.”

The motion also directs the Parks Department to establish one gym in each of the five supervisorial districts with "inclusive programming," where residents with disabilities can make use of adaptive equipment and engage in activities such as wheelchair basketball. During the Board's discussion on the motion, Barger presented a slideshow with photos from an existing adaptive sports program in her district.

LA County's Department of Parks and Recreation operates a total of 182 parks including nine regional parks; 39 neighborhood parks; 20 community parks; 15 wildlife sanctuaries; eight nature centers; four botanic gardens; 37 public swimming pools; two performance venues; the largest municipal golf system in the nation, consisting of 20 golf courses; and more than 240 miles of multi-use trails for hiking, biking, and horseback riding.