NRPA TAKES POSITION ON HANDICAPPED

"For too long handicapped people have been deprived of a right to an education; for too long handicapped people have been excluded from the possibility of jobs and employment where they could support themselves; for too long handicapped people have been kept out of buildings, have been kept off of streets and sidewalks, have been excluded from private and public transportation and have been deprived of a simple right, in many instances, just to communicate with one another . . . and I say to you tonight the time for discrimination against the handicapped in the United States is over."

Those were the words of President Carter as he opened the first White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals held in Washington, May 23-27, 1977.

John H. Davis, Executive Director of NRPA, was NRPA's official observer at the conference. Several other members attended.

The official NRPA Position Paper was presented and approved. It calls for the following action:

1. A National program should be established to facilitate recruitment, employment, and training of handicapped citizens in all area, including parks and recreation. Such assistance should include financial aid for education and training for careers in parks and recreation.

2. Government at all levels, as well as the private sector, should be encouraged to extend current programs to provide financial assistance to private and public agencies serving handicapped citizens.

3. The Bureau of Education for the Handicapped and other federal units should substantially increase funding allocations for research to increase understanding of the factors contributing to satisfying recreation participation for handicapped persons.

4. A mechanism should be created to join authorities at the federal, state and local level in a common effort to facilitate effective resource utilization with respect to the coordination, operation, and implementation of leisure programs and services for handicapped citizens.

5. The President is urged to direct the Department of Transportation to develop and adopt an affirmative action policy regarding accessibility as related to tourism and other leisure experiences dependent upon the various forms of transportation under its jurisdiction and control. (Editor's Note—Secretary of Transportation Brock Adams issued a statement on May 19 of his decision to "require all new public buses purchased with Department of Transportation (DOT) grants be designed for easy access by elderly and handicapped persons.")

6. Federal financial support should be made available to establish effective mechanisms to enforce compliance with existing accessibility legislation particularly in relation to parks, recreation, and related leisure areas and facilities.

7. Organizations like the National Recreation and Park Association should become more involved in the development of legislation that is responsive to the needs and expectations of the handicapped citizen.

8. The White House Conference planners and delegates should recognize the inestimable values and benefits that leisure counseling can contribute to the health and well-being of all handicapped citizens and make productive determinations and subsequent recommendations that will

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NRPA TAKES POSITION ...

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instigate the planning and funding of leisure couseling programs and services at the federal, state and local level.

9. The White House Conference planners and delegates should include provisions for the greatest possible involvement of concerned organizations such as the National Recreation and Park Association in conference "follow-up" and "feedback" to advocate and build upon the needs and accomplishments resulting from the White House Conference on Handicapped Individuals.

Illinois Parks and Recreation 23 July/August, 1977