Wheelchair or handicapped-accessible disc golf?

[Rizbee]

I'm working on a course proposal for our local university. Things have gone very well for the most part, but the issue of ADA-compliance has come up. Does anyone know of any courses that are ADA-compliant? Is there anyone out there with experience dealing with this issue? Any help is appreciated.

[MDethCKR]

None of the one's I've played are remotely accessible. To many tree limbs scattered.
Oh, if anybody's ever played at Highland Park, Joliet IL...theres some fun stairs up and down 60' or so each way across a 60' road :)

[Camgolfer]

Universal Design and ADA accessibility is a big issue with P&R depts. Being that Disc Golf Courses are often times built in parks and open space with little change in the existing terrain it is very hard to be ADA compliant. I have not heard of any courses being designed for this specific purpose. I would check/contact the PDGA to see how they handle this issue.

[bazillion]

Yeah. When they put in the course at Chavez Ridge (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=1109) they had to widen the paths and otherwise make the whole thing wheelchair-accessible, despite the course being laid out on a mountainside!

I talked with one of the guys who put the course in and he said that the local "historic preservation group" or whatever it was hassled them unmercifully but they persevered and put the course in the ground anyway.

Good thing they did - it's wildly popular, the only course serving the central Los Angeles area. Get a hold of the folks who pulled off this miracle and they can probably help you thread whatever needles you're facing.

[Rizbee]

Thanks, bazill - I didn't realize Chavez had to do that. I'll contact Cliff Towne.

[biscoe]

i'm pretty certain harold duvall at innova east can also give you good info on it.

[timg]

http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=78
http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=113
http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=362
http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=2720

[jhgonzo]

Maybe if your course starts at the top of a big mountain and ends at the bottom, they could just roll down it the whole way...

[Omega SuperSloth]

Maybe if your course starts at the top of a big mountain and ends at the bottom, they could just roll down it the whole way...
thats awfull.........ly funny

[fifteen]

Maybe if your course starts at the top of a big mountain and ends at the bottom, they could just roll down it the whole way...

I think I'm going to hell for laughing at this one.

[t i m]

I'll echo TimG's recommendation that you look at Ashe Lake in MS (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=2720). I've played there once, and they have it set up with "levels" of accessibility.

The front 9 has 3-4 holes that have paved pathways most of the way around, and big bells on top that can be rung for blind players... The rest of the front nine plays across gently rolling grass areas with trees far enough apart that a wheelchair should be able to get around... The other side of the lake has an 18-hole course that is very rough/rugged and you would need to be fully capable to play.

The front nine plays around the pavilion and picnic areas and is very safe and family friendly. The serious 18 is on it's own plot of land.

I think the lessons learned from that course could be applied a lot of places -- pitch the course as having something for everyone, and design it that way. I know the Ashe Lake course got some good media when it was put in for being the "most handicapped friendly disc golf course in the country" or something like that. There is a whole media angle that plays well to parks and rec.

[Omega SuperSloth]

i think the biggest problem for making dg handicapped accessable is not the fairways or paths its the places your discs lands after you throw , theres just to many places where a wheelchair or electric cart just cant go or just cant safely go without risking the person serious injury .

on a course that a disabled person could at least get around on most of the holes i could see playing a combination of doubles and cali style to accomadate unreachable lies and personally i would love to have the oppurtunity to play with someone disabled as i get my kicks from whooping open players with someone they dont want to be teamates with( kids,girls,noobs,italians).

[Lewis]

Sorry if this is threadjacking, but it's a question that's been on my mind for a while. Has anyone here ever played with a disabled friend? I imagine there are ways to throw from a wheelchair, but what kind of technique would you use?

[Omega SuperSloth]

im guessing sidearm would be best ,and i think putting wise they might actually have an advantage being more stable and more at basket level.

[mashnut]

im guessing sidearm would be best ,and i think putting wise they might actually have an advantage being more stable and more at basket level.

Good points, but I wonder if it would be tough to putt without transferring your weight forward.

[bazillion]

I believe there was an article about this in DGWN a while back. Don't have the issue handy but if I remember to look for it, I'll post the issue #.

Meanwhile (slight thread-jack), I've played with a friend who is totally (100%) blind. We aimed him at the hole and told him what was in between and he let fly. Horrible form, but I do recall that he parred #6 at Will Rogers, which was quite a thrill for both of us. His main problem was navigating over rough ground, hills, schule, etc., but we figured it out one hole at a time.

[arrdee33]

Can't see them in the pictures, but barfield-crescent in Murfreesboro, TN is acc. for a certain layout.

I think you can play a nine hole layout when you use sidewalks that run between holes.
Around the basket is a concrete circle that extends out to about 18 foot or so in diam.

pretty cool. I have never seen anyone playing it while in a wheelchair so i'm not sure the fundamentals. but most of the land is flat in that area, which most likely would provide a fairly easy round with the help of a friend or two

if you look at the photo of hole two. you can see the sidewalk running down the right of the fairway

[I3ooI3oo]

Sorry if this is threadjacking, but it's a question that's been on my mind for a while. Has anyone here ever played with a disabled friend? I imagine there are ways to throw from a wheelchair, but what kind of technique would you use?

Certainly not an X-step..

[jhgonzo]

Certainly not an X-step..

Maybe an "O-step"?

[mashnut]

Maybe an "O-step"?

Is that where you have someone spin you in a circle really fast, and then hopefully release at exactly the right time?

[jhgonzo]

Is that where you have someone spin you in a circle really fast, and then hopefully release at exactly the right time?

Yeah, kinda like the distance-record throwers out in the middle of the desert!

[solomon.trenton]

get a 4 wheeling wheelchair:)

[Omega SuperSloth]

if anyones interested that indoor distance record thread i posted has some wheelchair records on there.

[ChrisMacG]

Yeah. When they put in the course at Chavez Ridge (http://www.dgcoursereview.com/course.php?id=1109) they had to widen the paths and otherwise make the whole thing wheelchair-accessible, despite the course being laid out on a mountainside!

I talked with one of the guys who put the course in and he said that the local "historic preservation group" or whatever it was hassled them unmercifully but they persevered and put the course in the ground anyway.

Good thing they did - it's wildly popular, the only course serving the central Los Angeles area. Get a hold of the folks who pulled off this miracle and they can probably help you thread whatever needles you're facing.

I played Chavez Ridge when I visited L.A. earlier this year. It is an amazing course, really beautiful and challenging.

[craftsman]

The first 9 @ holly state park in holly
Michigan is. Wouldn't even be able to tell if my disc golf Michigan guide didn't state it.

[skinner21]

Lemmon Lake currently has 4 courses on site and are planning more and are hosting Worlds next summer. In the plans for the future are a 9 hole handicap accessable course. They have alot of experience designing courses so they might be able to help you.

[DeafDiscGolfer]

Is that where you have someone spin you in a circle really fast, and then hopefully release at exactly the right time?

Or drive the powered wheelchair really fast and brake quickly to generate enough momentum sidearm throw!

Can't image if the brakes fails...:confused:


get a 4 wheeling wheelchair:)

Like this one??
http://cache.gizmodo.com/assets/resources/2006/11/Tank%20Chair.jpg
CLICK HERE (http://gizmodo.com/217074/rugged-wheelchair-lets-disabled-go-off+road) for more info and photos :)

[prerube]

I'm working on a course proposal for our local university. Things have gone very well for the most part, but the issue of ADA-compliance has come up. Does anyone know of any courses that are ADA-compliant? Is there anyone out there with experience dealing with this issue? Any help is appreciated.

I work in adapted physical education and work with ADA, IDEA and 504
It is difficult to create a compliant course, but only courses who recieve government financial assistance are required to be ADA compliant.


ADA: “No individual shall be discriminated against on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations”

504 states:
“No otherwise qualified individual with a disability….shall soley be reason of his/her disability, be excluded from participation in, be denied benefits of, or be subject to discrimination under any program or activity receiving financial assistance”



ADA is what Casey Martin (the pro golfer used) to sue the PGA to let him use a golf cart.

[prerube]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIO2rKBxpzs
I know it's ball golf
Skip the first minute...

[prerube]

Might that the compliant for the accessible work was need some support from the physical education to have a certain action. It is need to develop a education for the handicapped person who are willing to survive and live with has a good choice. This is remarkable for us.

that was quite incoherent, what are you trying to say?

You are saying you are disabled?

[EduCatOR]

:hfive: