Americans with Disabilities Act: An Assessment of a University Demonstration Garden

Abstract

1 0 8 The guidelines have directed for all people. of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) private and public institutions to provide access The ADA prohibits discrimination in employment, public services, public accommodations, and communications by a public entity on the basis of an individual’s disability. Public gardens throughout the United States must evaluate the accessibility to individuals with disabilities of their programs and facilities and determine their compliance level with Title II of the ADA [U.S. Dept. of Justice (USDJ), 1992]. Purdue University Horticulture Gardens (PUHG) qualifies under Title II because it is state-funded. The purpose of this study was to assess PUHG’s current level of ADA compliance and make recommendations for improving accessibility and outreach to individuals with disabilities. These results can serve as a model for other public gardens. According to the U.S. Census Bureau (1993), there are nearly 49 million Americans with disabilities. Population estimates suggest that there are 500,000 people in Indiana with disabilities (Indiana Governor’s Planning Council, 1990). The American Association of Botanical Gardens and Arboreta (1993 ) estimated that American public gardens received about 50 million visitors in 1992, but it is unknown how many visitors had disabilities or how many potential visitors with disabilities have not visited a public garden due to limited accessibility.