Danko holds ADA workshop in Pennsylvania
WASHINGTON – Melissa Danko, executive director of the Marine Trades Association of New Jersey (MTANJ), presented a training workshop on the new Accessibility Guidelines for Recreational Facilities to employees from the State of Pennsylvania Fishing and Boating Commission on September 29, reported the Marina Operators Association of America in a statement today.
Danko met with the group of 30 attendees representing 11 state parks and headquarters. Produced by MOAA and the U.S. Access Board, the workshop program is free and available to groups in the recreational facility industry.
Danko is one of a number of marine industry professionals trained by MOAA and the U.S. Access Board in the Accessibility Guidelines and volunteered her time to make the presentation with support from the MTANJ, according to the association.
“We really appreciate our partnership with the MTANJ and the other state and regional associations that have cooperated by making association executives available to this training initiative,” said Jim Frye, MOAA executive director. “Having this information communicated by credentialed industry professionals is the best way for folks to really get the message.”
More workshops to be held
Beginning in the spring of 2004, many of the training programs are offered in conjunction with the marine industry association meetings. Utilizing a power point presentation, the US Access Board’s new reference manual and a summary of accessibility guidelines for handouts, attendees learn how to embrace the new guidelines and use them as a significant competitive advantage for their facilities, according to MOAA.
The association said the benefits of accessibility training allow industry operators to:
The design and construction guidelines presented contain provisions for making boat slips, gangways, and boarding piers at boat launch ramps accessible for persons with disabilities. Other ADA accessibility guidelines for buildings and facilities such as accessible parking, toilet and bathing facilities, exterior accessible routes, are also covered in the program. The guidelines are intended to help designers and operators in using the accessibility guidelines and establish minimum accessibility requirement for newly designed or newly constructed and altered boating facilities.
MOAA manages a small grants program to help defray costs of the training sessions. If your organization is interested in offering a training program, contact Mari Lou Livingood, director of Program Development, MOAA, (202) 737-9775 or by email at mlivingood@nmma.org.
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