Ramp is too steep
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On July 17, Natalie Reid Miller reported in the Observer-Reporter that the Marianna Outdoorsmen Association “completed a $150,000 Ten Mile Creek handicapped-accessible water trail project.” The intention of this project is wonderful. People with disabilities want and need more access to outdoor activities. We commend the goal of a ramp to a favorite fishing spot.
As people across the country celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, The Outdoorsmen Association has proven that even 25 years has not been enough time to grasp the concepts of this landmark legislation. One look at the newly paved ramp is enough to know that the 96-foot slope is much too steep to be reasonably safe for all people who might want to use it. The slope is, in fact, nearly twice as steep (on average) as the ADA requirement of a running slope of 1:12 (a 1-inch rise for every 12 inches of ramp run). The lack of level turning radius and the sharp turn at the bottom would also be serious challenges for many people using mobility devices.
The latest standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act provide explicit guidance on creating accessible outdoor recreation spaces. Visitors to the ribbon-cutting event can confirm that “everyone” can definitely not access that area.
While we acknowledge that creating a compliant slope at this location would be problematic, what exists now is not a safe and accessible community space for all. At least, the “Wheelchair Ramp” signs must be replaced by warnings about the steepness of the slope, and the parking spaces need to be corrected with new painted lines and access aisles.
While we understand that solutions for the slope will require greater, and potentially costly, remedies, marketing and reporting of this space as “accessible” is inaccurate.
That being said, we wish “tight lines!” to all anglers this summer, whether they fish standing in a creek or on a pier, or sitting in a boat, on a campstool, or in a wheelchair. Remember, as an unknown but wise fisherman once said, “Nothing makes a fish bigger than almost being caught!”
Nan Sninsky
Washington
Sninsky is the chief administrative officer of Tri-County Patriots for Independent Living.