Objective

To determine the extent of implementation of the three recommendations included in our initial audit report, Accessibility for People With Disabilities (Report 2022-S-3).

About the Program

The Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation (Parks) is responsible for the operation and stewardship of the State’s park system, as well as advancing the statewide parks, historic preservation, and open space mission. The State’s park system comprises over 250 State parks and historic sites, encompassing nearly 350,000 acres across 11 regions. As part of its mission, Parks works to provide universal access to safe and enjoyable recreational and informational opportunities for all New York State residents and visitors. Title II of the 1990 Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by state and local governments. The 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design (Standards) set minimum scoping and technical requirements for newly designed and constructed or altered state and local government facilities, public accommodations, and commercial facilities. For any new construction or alteration that began on or after March 15, 2012, the project must comply with the Standards. Although the Standards apply to new construction and alterations that began on or after March 15, 2012, they may be used as a guide to determine when and how to enhance accessibility within pre-existing structures.

The objective of our initial audit was to determine whether Parks had taken steps to ensure State parks and historic sites were accessible and could accommodate persons with disabilities, including meeting State and federal requirements. The audit covered the period from January 2018 through October 2022. Our initial audit found Parks had not actively incorporated accessibility into its processes for maintaining and operating its parks. Despite having developed a Transition Plan to address when self-evaluations revealed that public entities needed to make structural changes to achieve program accessibility, Parks did not include a timetable for executing improvements and had taken little action to implement recommendations for accessibility improvements. Additionally, most staff were not knowledgeable about the requirements under the Standards. We found 62% of the areas and amenities available for public use that we reviewed could improve accessibility, should Parks seek to exceed ADA’s minimum requirements. Further, information on accessibility—used to inform patrons in each of the parks—was not always accurate. Although historic sites pose unique challenges due to their age and design, we found Parks’ State Historic Preservation Office officials were generally committed to making each site as accessible as possible within the constraints of the location.

Key Findings

Parks has made progress in addressing the problems identified in the initial report; however, more work needs to be done. Of the initial report’s three recommendations, one has been implemented and two have been partially implemented.

Key Recommendation

Parks officials are requested, but not required, to provide information about any actions planned to address the unresolved issues discussed in this follow-up within 30 days of the report’s issuance.