With millions of people around the world living with disabilities, it is crucial to ensure that our communities are accessible and welcoming to everyone. Multiple departments within the City of Colorado Springs including the Office of Accessibility, Public Works, and Parks, Recreation and Cultural Services (PRCS) partner together every year to execute projects that play a pivotal role in advancing recreational accessibility in the Colorado Springs community. These ADA improvement projects are designed with accessibility in mind with modifications to enhance the independence and quality of life for individuals with disabilities.

2023 Projects

Palmer Park

The Palmer Park playground has been transformed to be more accessible for the entire community. More than 6,500 square feet of sand was replaced with an engineered wood fiber to provide a firm, stable, and slip-resistant surface that is still safe to play on. Landscape timbers between play areas were also removed and staff installed an adaptive swing set. 

Previously, the Palmer Dog Park only had parking in a gravel lot, without a clear route into the fenced area for someone with a mobility disability. The accessibility improvements within the parking lot include formalizing accessible parking spots and creating a compliant ramp down to the entrance of the fenced dog area. Additionally, amenities provided at the dog park were moved closer to the entrances of either fenced area, so that they are available to anyone that might need them. These improvements make the area truly usable for anyone to bring their dog (service animal or not) to the dog park.

Garden of the Gods Overflow Parking

Accessible parking is now available at the Garden of the Gods overflow parking lot. Since the Garden of the Gods receives an estimated 4.5 million visitors per year, parking within the Garden itself can fill up pretty quickly. The newly installed parking spaces are provided near a shuttle stop that provides further access into the Garden and will also provide access to future interpretive signs and installations at a plaza area located nearby. Up until this project, the overflow parking lot was entirely gravel.

Cottonwood Creek Community Park

Accessible parking serving the Cottonwood Creek sports fields is provided on the north side of the park, adjacent to the Cottonwood Creek and trail. The deteriorated asphalt surface of the parking lot was replaced with a more durable concrete surface, and the new design provides improved pedestrian and maintenance vehicle access to the park.

Swing High Playground (Memorial Park)

The Swing High Universally Accessible Playground was constructed in 2010; however, parking along Prospect Lake Drive has deteriorated over the years. Now, visitors can expect compliant accessible parking in a previously gravel lot next to the playground, that is connected with an ADA compliant route to the nearest bus stop further east along Prospect Lake Drive.

Prospect Lake Beach House (Memorial Park)

An accessible route to the Prospect Lake Beach at Memorial Park is now available. Previously, access to the beach required traversing sand and grass which can be difficult in a wheelchair or for other mobility devices. 

Sertich Ice Center Restrooms (Memorial Park)

Visitors at Sertich Ice Center at Memorial Park can now enjoy completely accessible restrooms on the north side of the building. ADA improvements were included as part of an entire revamp of the restrooms, with corrections made to how and where fixtures were installed, resizing of compartments to ensure they are wheelchair-accessible, and the provision of diaper changing tables installed at a height where they are usable by someone seated in a wheelchair.

Leon Young Sports Complex

Significant work was performed to regrade the parking lot at the Leon Young Sport Complex. Improvements in the parking lot included asphalt resurfacing and the installation of an ADA compliant parking lot.

2024 Projects

Rock Ledge Ranch Kiosk

The buildings at the Rock Ledge Ranch Historic Site are not necessarily accessible to persons with disabilities, given the fact that some were constructed over 100 years ago. The Office of Accessibility, the City’s Communications Department, and the City’s IT Department  worked together to provide a kiosk that includes narrated videos of experiences at sites around the Ranch that are not physically accessible. Students from the Colorado School for the Deaf and the Blind provided valuable feedback regarding the implementation of the kiosk. The kiosk was installed in the Carriage House at the Ranch in July of 2024. 

Fire Station 16 / Oak Meadows Park

City staff began work in 2024 to resolve accessibility challenges at Oak Meadows Park. New playground equipment was installed at this location, including an artificial turf play surface and universal play components. Additionally, after repairing the parking lot outside of Fire Station 16, the route leading to the park’s playground was reconfigured to provide access to a publicly available Community Room at Fire Station 16.

Meadows Park

Cracked concrete throughout Meadows Park was replaced to increase safety and accessibility and eliminate tripping hazards. Additionally, ramps leading into the park are being updated to meet the latest standards for accessibility.

Wasson Park

Located directly across the street from Garry Berry Stadium, Wasson Park is home to a popular baseball field and other amenities. The Office of Accessibility installed a route to, and accessible seating at, the baseball field so that people of all abilities can enjoy watching a game. On the north side of the park, sidewalk was removed and replaced, and additional sidewalk was added to both the restrooms and the basketball courts on site.

Antlers Dog Park

Antlers Dog Park is located in Antlers Park, near Pikes Peak and South Sierra Madre behind the historic hotel. The dog park includes synthetic turf, making it accessible to dog owners of all abilities.

Pioneers Museum

During a project to renovate the Pioneers Museum and to improve the buildings HVAC, the Office of Accessibility contributed to the installation of a wheelchair-height viewing area in a renovated room where visitors can watch archivists preserve artifacts from the museum.

Westside Community Garden

The Office of Accessibility coordinated a project executed by Boy Scout Troop 149 to install four wheelchair-height raised garden beds at the Community Garden at Westside Community Center.

2025 Projects

Garden of the Gods Parking Lot #4 (Waterline Project)

In conjunction with the Garden of the Gods Waterline Project, the Office of Accessibility is ensuring improvements to Parking Lot #4, which is reserved for people with disability placards. Additionally, significant improvements are being made to the route to and through the Central Garden so that it is accessible to the widest audience possible. Smaller projects around the Garden will be completed concurrently.

Westside Community Center

Multiple improvements will take place at the Westside Community Center in the spring and summer of 2025. These projects include the installation of a vertical platform lift to connect the upper half of the west building to the lower half, the procurement of a secondary lift to provide access to the stage in the gymnasium, replacing the floor in a corridor of the building to correct excessive slopes, and the replacement of the main entrance door with one that is ADA compliant.

Quail Lake Community Park

The Office of Accessibility is coordinating improvements to Quail Lake Community Park, in partnership with the Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services Department. These improvements are anticipated to increase the overall amount of parking provided at the site and will provide access to existing amenities for people with disabilities.

Rampart Community Park

The Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services Department and the Office of Accessibility are pursuing the replacement of sand and non-compliant poured-in-place surfacing at Rampart Community Park playground during a potential upgrade at the site.

Starsmore Visitors and Nature Center

A project to renovate the restrooms at the Starsmore Visitor and Nature Center is anticipated for late 2025.

 

ADA improvement projects play a crucial role in creating a more welcoming society. By focusing on accessible public transportation, barrier-free environments, technology, community engagement, and education, we can make a positive impact on the lives of individuals with disabilities. Let us continue to champion the cause of accessibility and work towards a more universal future for all. We look forward to the work that will be accomplished in 2025 to create a welcoming environment for all of Colorado Springs to enjoy!

To learn more about the City’s efforts to create a more welcoming community, or to get involved, reach out to us at ADACompliance@coloradosprings.gov.