Case Study:
Allen, Texas

Direct Access has partnered with the City of Allen, Texas to complete the self-evaluation and ADA transition plan for the city’s parks.

Working with City of Allen’s Parks and Recreation Department (PARD) Direct Access are conducting ADA field surveys of all the department’s facilities and parks.

Direct Access have also facilitated a consultation group of citizens with disabilities to provide input into the program.

The spaces include:

• Recreation and parks
• Associated parking lots
• Paved and unpaved park trails
• Park pedestrian bridges
• Signalized intersections and sidewalks linked to parks

Once the data collection and evaluation phase is completed in mid-2023, public workshops will be held as part of the development of the ADA Transition Plan to prioritize proposed ADA improvements. Public facilities and properties are required to be accessible to persons with disabilities pursuant to the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (Section 504) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. The Transition Plan identifies physical obstacles limiting access to programs, services, and activities by person with disabilities.

The requirements for a Transition Plan, as outlined in 28 C.F.R. section 35.150, only apply to public agencies with 50 or more employees.

Direct Access is working with Plano based engineering firm Cole to deliver this program covering 78 miles of trails and 45 properties with a diverse range of activities. These include Allen Station Park, the Joe Farmer Recreation Center, Don Rodenbaugh Natatorium and the Credit Union of Texas Event Center, a 6,275 fixed-seat multi-purpose indoor arena.

The City of Allen, Texas in Collin County is ten miles north of downtown Dallas within the Dallas-Fort Worth area and a population of approximately 105,000.