New York City Department of Parks and Recreation

Compliance with ADA Requirements

The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation operates one of the largest municipal park systems in the country. We audited the Department’s compliance with certain laws and regulations requiring its facilities to be accessible to people with disabilities. We found that many of the Department’s facilities have been upgraded to improve their accessibility. We also found the Department operates a year-round program that is specially designed to meet the recreational needs of people with disabilities.

At the same, we found the Department has not fully complied with certain of the requirements, mainly because it has not prepared a comprehensive plan addressing the accessibility of all of its facilities. Instead, the Department has sought to make new construction and major alteration projects compliant with accessibility requirements, and has not always been successful in these efforts. We also determined the Department has not complied with certain other accessibility requirements. For example, it does not actively publicize its services for disabled people, does not always adequately identify its accessible facilities, and has not established a process for handling complaints about lack of accessibility. We recommend that improvements be made in certain Department practices and procedures.

For a complete copy of Report 2004-N-6 click here.
For a copy of the 90-day response click here.