Erika works for the parks and recreation department of her city. Recently, her department received a call from a woman named Deborah, who had questions about her city-run dog park. Deborah’s son has a mobility disability, and Deborah had questions about the requirements for access to the dog park.

Erika knew from past experiences that her regional ADA Center was a great source of information. She reached out to them again to discuss Deborah’s questions. Her regional ADA Center let her know that dog parks that are run by the city’s parks and recreation department are covered under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and therefore have certain standards for access. This includes having entrance gates and accessible routes, including access to any amenities provided, such as drinking fountains or trash receptacles.

Not only did Erika pass this knowledge along to Deborah, but she also shared it with the parks and recreation department’s leadership team. This resulted in leadership drafting a plan to evaluate the accessibility of department-run dog parks in the city! Thanks to the ADA, Deborah was able to get the answers to her questions, and the city was able to take the first steps towards evaluating the accessibility of their dog parks.