All Visitors Welcome

"The policy of the California Department of Parks and Recreation is to meet the recreational needs of all the people of California and to provide an accessible environment in which all visitors to the State Park System are given the opportunity to understand, appreciate, and participate in the state's cultural, historical, and natural heritage.  Parks that offer visitors good physical access to interpretive facilities and resources cannot be considered totally accessible unless the staff can also effectively communicate with visitors who have disabilities.  Access to both facilities and programs is equally important."

So states the introduction to All Visitors Welcome: Accessibility in State Park Interpretive Programs and Facilities.  First published in 1994, the sixth edition of this valuable publication was released in early 2011.  This handbook has been designed as a handy reference for planning programs and delivering them to the general public.  It has three purposes:  To educate park staff about the most common disabilities, thereby improving their understanding of, and their ability to effectively communicate with the entire audience; to provide suggestions for making existing park interpretive programs more accessible to people with disabilities, so they can participate in and enjoy them together with their families and friends; and to inform park staff of state and federal facility access requirements, along with additional suggestions applicable to park interpretive facilities.

The publication is available below either in one large file, or broken up into five sections. 

Download complete document (PDF, 5.7 MB)
Download sections:
     Title and Introductory Pages (PDF, 502 KB)
     Types of Disabilities (PDF, 1.54 MB)
     Interpretive Programs (PDF, 2.79 MB)
     Interpretive Facilities (PDF, 1.15 MB)
     Appendices (PDF, 312 KB)