ACA: Paddlesport Accessibility Workshop This workshop explored paddlesport launch-site accessibility for individuals with physical disabilities. We reviewed, discuss and experience first-hand factors relevant to making paddlesport launch-sites more accessible to individuals using wheelchairs, prosthetics or other mobility aids. In a classroom session we reviewed the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and what additional efforts have been made to make paddlesport launch sites accessible. We then took the workshop outdoors and experienced first-hand the challenges of transferring into kayaks and canoes from various launch-site designs. More importantly we discussed what equipment and launch sight designs work best to make access as safe and comfortable as possible for everyone.

1. Paddlesports++
Launch+Site+Accessibility+
Legal+Compliance+and+Beyond+

2. Appreciate)the)need)for)paddlesport)launch)site)accessibility)
Appreciate)challenges)of)making)paddlesport)launch)sites)
accessible)
Learn)a)basic)framework)for)decision)making,)planning)and)
design)to)make)paddlesport)launch)sites)accessible.)
Goals)of)this)Clinic)

3. )
Paddlecraft))=)canoes,)kayaks,)SUPs,)rafts,)inner)tubes,)
) ) )bellyaks…)others?)
)Paddlecraft)water)access)points:)
)
CarryDdown)launchDsites)
Boat)ramps)
Floating)Docks)
Shorelines)&)Beaches)
Others?)
What’s+a+Paddlesport+Launch+Site?+

4. 57)million)Americans)with)disabilities)by)2010)census)
Largest)minority)in)the)country)
)
Roughly)½)have)physical)disabilities)&)mobility)
impairments.))
Why+do+we+care?++
Everyone+deserves+access+to+adventure+

5. Paddling offers many disabled individuals opportunity to move
around as fast & gracefully as others with whom they are traveling+
Freedom)to)Roam)

6. 5+of+these+11+paddlers+have+a+significant+
physical+disability:+Can+you+tell+which+ones?+

7. Architectural)Barriers)Act)of)1968)(ABA)))
Demands)that:)“Facilities)designed,)built,)altered,)or)leased)with)funds)supplied)by)
the)[US])Federal)Government)be)accessible)to)the)public.”)
)Sect.)504)of)the)Rehabilitation)Act)of)1973)
Demands)that:)“No)otherwise)qualified)individual)with)a)disability…)shall,)solely)by)
reason)of)her)or)his)disability,)be)excluded)from)the)participation)in,)be)denied)the)
benefits)of,)or)be)subjected)to)discrimination)under)any)program)or)activity)
receiving)Federal)financial)assistance)or)under)any)program)or)activity)conducted)
by)any)Executive)agency)or)by)the)[USPS].”))
Americans)with)Disabilities)Act)of)1990)(ADA))
Applies)to)state)&)local)governments)(title)2),)&)any)entity)open)to)public)(title)3).)
Programs)&)facilities)must)not)exclude)a)qualified)person)just)because)they)have)a)
disability.))
Laws+set+Minimal'Standards'necessary+to+
avoid++Civil+Rights+infringement+

8. ADA+Standards+for+Accessible+Design+(ADASAD)+&+ABA+Accessibility+
Standards+DO+apply+to+new+or+altered:++
• Parking)lots)
• Restrooms)
• Walkways)from)parking)lot)&)within)recreation)areas))
• Fishing)piers)&)platforms)
• Boat)slips)(marinas))
• Floating)gangways)&)transitions)at)boat)slips)(dockage)at)marinas))
• Boarding)piers)at)boat)ramps)(fixed)or)floating)dock)next)to)ramp))
The+accessible+design+laws+get+us+close+to+
water’s+edge…+

9. ADA)Standards+for+Accessible+Design+&)ABA)Regulations)are)
silent)about)required)physical)design)characteristics)of)water+
entry+points+at)boat)ramps,)beach)waterDaccess,)carryDdown)
sites)&)other)paddlesport)launches.)
)
)
But,+the+laws+usually+stop+short+of++
launching+a+paddlecraft+!!+

10. Boat)Ramps:))
No)Legal)Requirement)for)accessible)design)

11. But…)boat)ramps)are)usually)reasonably)
accessible)paddlesport)launch)sites…)
)

12. Public)Beaches:)
Design)standards)stop)just)short)of)launching)access…)
)

13. Expensive)(and)wonderful))Solution’s)
exist…)for)the)lucky)few)

14. As)do)less)expensive)options:)
that)work)for)most)

15. Often)unaltered)shorelines)&)beaches)can)
be)accessible)launch)sites)(for)some).)

16. Programs+must+be+accessible+!+
+
Under)ADA,)ABA)&)Section)504)of)The)Rehabilitation)Act,)
access)to)all)programs)(including)those)that)don’t)depend)on)
constructed)facilities))are)required)to)provide)equal)
opportunity)to)all.)))
Qualified)people)with)disabilities)may)not)be)denied)
opportunity)to)participate)in)a)program)if)their)participation)
doesn’t)“fundamentally)alter)the)program.”))
Without)design)standards,)are)any)
launch)sites)required)to)be)accessible)?)

17. OnDwater)cultural)or)natural)history)interpretation)programs)
Recreational)paddlesport)instruction)or)guided)trips)
Paddlesport)races,)competitions)&)festivals)
Self)guided)waterDtrails)
“Programs”)Include:)

18. Even in absence of legal requirements for
physical launch site design, paddlesport launch
sites must nonetheless be accessible wherever
“programs” are run.
Many (if not most) launch sites are used for
programming of some sort.
Therefore,+a+watersports+“program”+
launch+site+must+be+accessible)

19. Legal requirement is the bare minimum to
avoid civil rights violation.
We hope to achieve much more than this bare
minimum standard.
Remember…+

20. Degree)of)Safety)?)
Degree)of)Independence)Afforded)&)for)How)Many)?)
Degree)of)Dignity)Preservation)&)for)How)Many)?)
Degree)of)Ease)of)use)&)for)How)Many))?)
Paddlesport++
Launch+Site+Evaluation+Criteria ))

21. Surfacing)&)Slope)
Space)to)move)around)on)4)wheels)
Space)&)Aids)to)Transfer)In)&)Out)of)Boat)
Proximity:)parking,)bathrooms)&)other)
Accessibility+Factors+++
+
Determine+how+well+a+site+meets+Evaluation+Criteria+on+last+slide+

22. Launching)is)not)enough…)You)must)also)be)able)to)get)out…)
Can)someone)get)OUT)?)

23. Independence?))Dignity?)))
Safe?))Easy?))Back)PAIN)!!)

24. Fixed)docks)are)generally)not)an)option)

25. Floating)Docks)?)
Essential)in)tidal)/)salt)marsh)zones)
Must)be)able)to)“self)transfer”)to)use)standard)floating)docks)

26. “Self)Transfer”)you)say?)
What’s)that)mean?)
Full+Assisted+Transfer+ Self+Transfer:+Upper+body+strength+

27. Complex)floating)dock)solutions))
Complexity)is)not)always)better…)just)more)expensive)

28. A)simple)floating)dock)solution)that)
works)for)many…)

29. How)much)mussel?)
Easy)to)use?)

30. Space)to)move)around)and)transfer?)
If)there’s)space)for)an)assisted)transfer,)then)there’s)
space)for)self)transfer)

31. Slope?))))
>)1:12)slope)is)ideal)
Alternatively)expressed)as)=)or)<)8.33%)
1:7+Slope+is+a+wheelchair+
waterpark+splash+zone+

32. Stairs)to)deal)with)slope)?)
Remember+1+goal+is+maximize+#+of+users.++Difficult+
choices+will+often+have+to+be+made.++Stairs+are+can+be+
designed+to+be+useful+for+some…+but+(like+everything+
else)+will+never+be+accessible+to+all+

33. Surfacing?++
Remember+these+pictures+from+earlier+slides+?+
Boat)ramps)are)often)accessible)launch)sites)
because)they)generally)have)a)hard)surface,)
gradual)slope)and)the)space)to)move)
around)and)transfer)into)boat.)
)
DD)Not)good)in)tidal)salt)marsh)zones)
Portable)and)fixed)surfacing)improvements)
can)open)areas)to)many,)many)more)users.))

34. Remember:)accessible)surfacing,)appropriate)
slope)&)space)to)transfer)often)occur)naturally)

35. And…)in)many)places)altering)the)naturally)occurring)
environment)is)the)wrong)balance)of)values:)many)people)
with)disabilities)also)need)wilderness)&)adventure)

36. Degree)of)Safety)?)
Degree)of)Independence)Afforded)&)for)How)Many)?)
Degree)of)Dignity)Preservation)&)for)How)Many)?)
Degree)of)Ease)of)use)&)for)How)Many))?)
As)determined)by:)
Surfacing)&)Slope)
Space)to)move)around)on)4)wheels)
Space)&)Aids)to)Transfer)In)&)Out)of)Boat)
Proximity:)parking,)bathrooms)&)other)
Tomorrow’s+field+trip:+Explore+local+launch+sites+&+
apply+Evaluation+Criteria+while+experiencing+
accessibility+challenges+first+hand+