The proposed federal guidelines for outdoor recreation areas provide technical specifications for trails, beach and other access routes, and picnic and camping facilities. Although they are only recommendations at this point and will apply only to federal lands and federally funded programs, the guidelines are already being used by the Forest Service and other land management agencies around the country as the best tool currently available for complying with ADA requirements, according to Bill Botten, an accessibility specialist with the United States Access Board.

The Access Board has been working on these guidelines since 1993, and in 1997 set up a committee of park managers, disability advocates, and representatives of outdoors groups to negotiate a consensus. "It was very difficult because you had a lot of people on the resource side who had no knowledge of people with disabilities, and a lot of advocates for people with disabilities who didn't understand the kinds of issues resource managers face, or the design issues involved," said Ray Bloomer, director of education and technical assistance for the National Center on Accessibility and a member of the committee. "Everybody had to give in on something."

The committee reached a consensus and presented its report in 1999. Since then the Board has been assessing how much it will cost federal land agencies to meet the proposed standards. This economic analysis is nearing completion and the guidelines will be presented first to the Office of Management and Budget for review, then to the public for comment, Botten said. To find out how you can submit comments, go to www.access-board.gov or contact the Board at (800) 872-2253 (voice), (800) 993-2822 (TTY), or outdoor@access-board.gov.

Botten is glad to see accessibility guidelines move beyond buildings and transportation to experiences in nature. In 1983, when he began using a wheelchair, "we fought like hell just for curb cuts. In a 20-year span we've gone from creating a more accessible environment in cities to now looking at things like camping, boating, and fishing. If you keep a person with a disability in the built environment, you really limit so much of what we live for. [The ability to get outdoors] leads to a healthier lifestyle and builds confidence; it makes people believe they can do anything."