Beyond the ADA: New Federal Guidance Impacting Accessibility in the Public Realm - 1.25 PDH (LA CES/HSW)

Recorded On: 10/07/2024

Federal agencies, such as the U.S. Access Board and U.S. Department of Transportation, have been pushing the needle forward on inclusive design within the public realm. Learn how the latest guidance is turning into law and how best practices tested in complex streetscapes are applicable elsewhere including site design.

Learning objectives:

Understand what the adoption of the Public Right-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) will mean for practitioners advancing the design of street and shared-use path projects.
Learn planning and design strategies that ensure shared spaces (e.g. shared or curbless streets, and plazas) are accessible to all, including people with disabilities and mobility challenges.
Dive into detailed design strategies and key considerations for integrating accessible routes and spaces with multimodal infrastructure (including bikeways and transit facilities) and green infrastructure.
Identify the points at which to incorporate accessibility best practices within the design process for the public realm, and how this can lead to more inclusive site design.

James Elliott, AICP

Senior Planner

Toole Design

Jim is a senior planner with Toole Design. He led an FHWA project on making shared streets, separated bike lanes, roundabouts, and other innovative street designs more accessible to people with vision disabilities. He is currently involved in several accessibility-focused projects, including two on improving access for people with vision disabilities to floating bus stops and one on making streets more accessible to people with autism spectrum disorder and intellectual and developmental disabilties. Jim has a vision disability that prevents him from driving.

Juliet Shoultz, PE

Transportation Systems Engineer

U.S Access Board

Juliet Shoultz is a Transportation Systems Engineer with the U.S Access Board where she serves as lead staff on accessible transportation. She has fifteen years of experience in transportation planning and engineering for state government, and extensive experience in Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) policy and standards development as well as ADA transition planning. Juliet has been an active participant on Transportation Research Board standing committees, and a member of a National Cooperative Highway Research Program panel.

Sarah Johnson, ASLA, PLA, AICP

Landscape Architect

Toole Design Group

Sarah is a Landscape Architect in Toole Design’s Raleigh office. She approaches her work through systems-thinking and a focus on serving all members of a community. Sarah is adept at site analysis and community engagement, which makes her skilled at identifying opportunities to accomplish multiple goals through place-based design. With a background in the public- and private-sector, her work includes streetscapes, pedestrian and bicycle facility design, and green infrastructure. Sarah is passionate about uplifting streets as public spaces and using design to enrich everyday life.

Eric Childs, ASLA, PLA, LEED AP

Senior Landscape Architect

Toole Design

Eric is a Professional Landscape Architect in Toole Design’s Atlanta office. He has a wide range of project management and design experience that includes streetscapes, public plazas, complex urban design projects, trails and parks, and the development of municipal streetscape standards. He is skilled at preparing high-quality documents for permit and construction, and he excels at producing illustrative renderings that communicate design intent. Eric is passionate about designing sustainable spaces that weave social and ecological systems into the fabric of the built environment.