Course Description:

Communities across the country are making improvements to their road network to provide safe access for all people who need to use them. Often overlooked in these complete streets initiatives is the most vulnerable group, pedestrians with disabilities. There are many different types of pedestrians with disabilities. Some may be blind or have low vision, deaf or hard of hearing, use walkers, crutches, or wheelchairs. When improvements to our communities are planned, we need to look at the entire picture of our roadways to make them usable for all.

This workshop will assist local governments and their consultants with an understanding of the basic minimum requirements for Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act to ensure our roadways’ pedestrian network is accessible for pedestrians with disabilities and provide safe access for other road users. These requirements apply to all state and local governments regardless of their size. The workshop will include a brief overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act and the Federal responsibilities of the public roadway owners, specific Massachusetts requirements, and the 2023 Public Right of Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) for the pedestrian networks along our roads.

Topics covered in this course will include:
• Laws and Regulations and local government responsibilities
• The standards, policies, and guidelines for accessible public streets
• Common complete streets conflicts with ADA and pedestrian
• Basic design criteria for accessible public streets including:
• Sidewalks
• Street Crossings
• Curb Ramps
• Pedestrian signals
• On street Parking

The course will include group exercises.
 
Learning outcomes:
Upon completion of the course, participants should be able to:
• Identify applicable laws, regulations, guidelines and standards pertaining to accessibility.
• Identify some of the challenges in the public right-of-way faced by persons with disabilities.
• Identify best practices for the design of accessible pedestrian facilities for accessibility within your communities.

Credit Hours