Angelique is the event manager for a horse show. One of the horse show events was being planned for a public park in an area surrounded by grass. Angelique was concerned that it would be difficult for people who use wheelchairs or other mobility devices to get around in grassy areas. She wanted to know about options for creating pathways with mats so the event would be accessible. Because the event was being held at a public park, she contacted Georgia, an employee at the city’s parks and recreation department.

Searching for answers to Angelique’s questions, Georgia reached out to her regional ADA Center. Georgia and the Center’s ADA Specialist discussed how the ADA Standards for Accessible Design applied to the horse show. The requirements for accessible routes say ground surfaces must be level, stable, firm, and slip resistant, and they cannot have any lips or curbs. There were many options for how to make this kind of a path, including putting interlocking garage floor mats, perforated plastic mats, or rubber tiles on top of the grass. The ADA Specialist also recommended the ADA National Network’s Planning Guide for Making Temporary Events Accessible to People with Disabilities as a resource.

Georgia passed this information to Angelique. Angelique used the ADA Standards for Accessible Design to create accessible routes around the horse show grounds. Thanks to the ADA, the regional ADA Center, Georgia, and Angelique, the horse show was accessible for everyone!