UTAP TRAININGS
With funding from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, Parks & Trails New York will hold its third Universal Trail Assessment Process (UTAP) Coordinator training at Gilbert Lake State Park in Laurens, NY on July 15 and 16.
Congratulations to the 2008 UTAP Trail Assessment Coordinator Training Class:
- Stephen Chagnon, Southeast Adirondack Independent Living Center
- Maryann Donaldson, Resource Center for Accessible Living, Inc.
- Daniel Driscoll, Mohawk Hudson Land Conservancy
- Wally Elton, Parks & Trails New York
- Martin Howden, NYSOPRHP, Hamlin Beach State Park
- Mike, Krish, NYSOPRHP, Two Rivers/Newton Battlefield State Park
- Paul Leuchner, Niagara River Greenway Commission & Town of Grand Island Committee for Conservation of Environment
- Scott Lewendon, Clough Harbour & Associates
- Faith Lustik, Jefferson County Public Health Servicer
- Ion Meyer, NYS OPRHP, Grand Island
- Tom Meyering, Town of Poughkeepsie Recreation Dept. & Wappingers Greenway Trail Committee
- Chris More, NYSOPRHP, Saratoga Spa State Parks & Trails New York
- Tracy Murphy, Options for Independence, Syracuse
- Nicholas Piatek, Liberty Bike Trail
- Kate Schmidt, Orange County Planning
- Vicki Wilkins, SUNY Cortland Dept. of Recreation & NYS Inclusive Recreation Resource Center
About the Program: Beneficial Designs, Inc. developed the Universal Trail Assessment Process (UTAP) in the mid 1990s with funding from the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation at the National Institutes of Health. The goal was to create a system to assess trails for visitors of all abilities. UTAP is widely accepted as an objective and thorough methodology. UTAP is a land management tool rather than simply an accessibility tool. In this expanded role, the program provides a consistent way of looking at trails and gives land managers a common language by which they can communicate with the public and each other. The process reinforces the concepts of good trail design and has proven to be objective, accurate and reliable. UTAP clearly describes conditions on a trail by assessing criteria such as land surface, trail width, grade, cross slope, obstacles, and accessibility of parking, restrooms, picnic areas and signage. The Federal Highway Administration, the NYS Department of Health, and the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation all endorse UTAP.
Our Goal: It is the goal of Parks & Trails New York to increase the accessibility of New York's outdoor trails for people with physical limitations that affect the quality of their recreational experience. We are providing this training in order to build a group of persons who know how to assess trail accessibility and will comit to assessing several miles of trail (within their area) within a year of completing the training. The resulting information will be availabe on our website.
The Schedule: The 2008 UTAP training workshop will be held on July 15 and 16 at Gilbert Lake State Park, Laurens, NY (approximately 20 minutes from Oneonta, NY). Tuesday's session will begin at 11:00 am. A lunch and dinner break will be included, and the session will end no later than 8:00 pm. Wednesday's session will begin at 8:00 am and will include breakfast and lunch and will end no later than 5:00 pm. Up to 16 persons will be selected representing all regions of the state.
The workshop will be presented by two UTAP-certified trainers. It will consist of both classroom instruction and outdoor trail sessions. Generally, easier trails, with some variation of conditions, will be used for training on Tuesday. More challenging trails and a greater variety of trail conditions will be introduced on Wednesday. At the end of the second day, a certification exam will be given. Participants who score 70% or higher can become certified by UTAP and American Trails, a national nonprofit trails organization.
Our Trainers:
Patricia Longmuir - Founder of PEL Consulting, Ms. Longmuir works
with public, not for profit and private agencies to enhance the
physical activity and recreation opportunities available to people
of all abilities. She is a Master Trainer for the Universal Trail
Assessment Process who specializes in access to outdoor, natural
environments and has completed numerous trail assessments and UTAP
training workshops. Ms. Longmuir holds a Master's Degree in Exercise
Science from the University of Toronto and is a Professional Fitness
and Lifestyle Consultant.
Carole Fraser - As Universal Access Program Coordinator for New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC), Ms. Fraser has worked since 2001 to improve accessibility to NYSDEC programs. Prior to her current assignment, she worked in DEC's office of Legislative Affairs and as the Assistant Editor of the Conservationist, NYSDEC's award winning magazine.
Costs: The UTAP training will be offered free of charge. As part of this training, the following will be provided:
- Two days of UTAP instruction with free use of facilities and parking
- On-site lunch, snacks and drinks both days
- Dinner on Tuesday & breakfast on Wednesday
- Training kit
- Free use of UTAP tool kits during training sessions
Other costs NOT COVERED by Parks & Trails New York include:
- All travel expenses to and from the training
- Lodging Tuesday evening. A block of rooms has been reserved at $113.39/night at the Super 8 Motel, 4973 State Highway 23 in Oneonta.
Note: Parks &Trails New York may be able to offer money to cover the cost of accommodations on Tuesday evening for those with financial need. (See specific needs on the application form.)
Participant Committment: After successful completion of the UTAP workshop, and in return for receiving the training free of charge, each participant will work with Parks & Trails New York staff to select and assess at least 3 miles of trails in their home region during the next year. Parks & Trails New York will help each participant organize others to assist with these trail assessments. The accessibility information will then be added to the Parks & Trails New York website.
With funding from the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation, and Historic Preservation, the New York Community Trust, and the New York State Department of Health Disability and Health Program, Parks & Trails New York organized its second Universal Trail Assessment Process (UTAP) Coordinator training at Gilbert Lake State Park in Laurens, NY on July 25 and 26.
The following 16 individuals from across the state were selected to participate from among 33 applicants:
- Beverly Allyn – Mid-Hudson Bicycle Club
- Jim Arey – Elmira-Chemung Transportation Council
- Jill Barra – Herkimer County Public Health
- Victor Calise – City of New York Parks and Recreation
- Joyce Carroll – Columbia Land Conservancy
- Laura Conner – OPRHP, Saratoga/Capital District Region
- Andrew Giarrizzo – OPRHP, Western District
- Paul Hoffman – Finger Lakes Trail Conference, Triple Cities Hiking Club
- Mary Riley-Jacame – University of Albany Prevention Research Center
- Richard Schraven – Niagara Frontier Chapter ADK, Niagara Frontier Bicycle Club
- Al Sosa – Oneonta-Susquehanna Greenway, SUNY Oneonta Physical Education/Outdoor Education Dept.
- Wendy VanDerBogart – OPRHP, Central Region
- Matt Van Slyke – Herkimer-Oneida Counties Transportation Study
- Jan Wines – Croton on Hudson Trails Committee
- Donald Wyckoff – Catskill Center for Independence
- Martin Daley - Parks & Trails New York
The training was conducted by two American Trails-certified UTAP Master Trainers, Patricia Longmuir of PEL Consulting in Ontario, Canada and Carole Fraser, Universal Access Program Coordinator for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC). At the end of the training, each participant took a written exam. In return for receiving their training free of charge, they also agreed to assess three miles of trails for Parks & Trails New York. The resulting information will be added to Parks & Trails New York’s web-based Trail Finder Maps.
Congratulations to the following individuals who participated in the 2006 UTAP training and completed all the requirements for certification by American Trails, Inc. as
Universal Trail Assessment Coordinators:
- Karl Beard - National Parks Service, Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance Program
- Sharon Bryant-Heyboer – NYS Department of Transportation
- Howard Cornwall - Directions in Independent Living Inc.
- Laura Lemire – New York State Department of Transportation
- Frank Pennisi - Southern Tier Independence Center, Inc.
- Kevin Prickett – Parks & Trails New York
- Lynda Rummel – Finger Lakes Trail Conference, Friends of the Outlet, Yates County ARC
- Irene Szabo - Finger Lakes Trail Conference, North Country National Scenic Trail
Parks & Trails New York held its first Universal Trail Assessment C
oordinator Training on June 16 and 17, 2006 at Gilbert Lake State Park in Laurens, NY. Sixteen persons from across the state were selected for the training from 52 applicants. The training was conducted by two American Trails-certified UTAP Master Trainers, Patricia Longmuir of PEL Consulting in Ontario, Canada and Carole Fraser, Universal Access Program Coordinator for the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (NYSDEC).
Others who completed the UTAP training, passed the test and are working on their trail assessments needed for certification:
- Edward Ahern - Suffolk Independent Living Organization
- Lauren Dennison - New York State Office of Real Property Services
- Robin Ferri - Access to Independence of Cortland County
- Frances Gotcsik - Parks & Trails New York
- Michael Hellmann - Westchester Residential Opportunities, Westchester Disabled on the Move
- Wes Lampman - Adirondack Mountain Club
- Joy Olson - Rural Health Network South Central NY, Triple Cities Hiking Club
- Andrew Rawdon - Compeer Inc., Crescent Trail Assoc., Monroe County. Regional Canalway Trail Group, Genesee Waterways Center
Participant Experience and Impact of the Training: The UTAP training course has already had many benefits well beyond the trail accessibility information that will be made available on Parks & Trails New York 's Trail Finder Maps. That greater impact is best described in the words of some of the participants:
Irene Szabo, Finger Lakes Trail Conference, Mt. Morris , NY: “The State of New York has adopted an inclusive policy requiring that new trails or new segments of existing trail systems on public land be properly assessed before they may be opened for use. While this is a socially admirable policy, it has also created an administrative logjam in the attempt to process assessments with such a relatively small handful of state employees trained in the Universal Trail Assessment Process so far.
“Therefore, we welcomed this opportunity for trail advocacy volunteers to be certified as assessors, nearly doubling the state's “UTAP squad.” Now we will be able to open new trail segments to the public literally years sooner. In addition, the training has given us the capacity to offer the public some fairly accessible sections of the Finger Lakes Trail that are suitable for almost any mobility level or sensory capacity. We also plan to create a section on our website on accessibility.”
Frank Pennisi, Program Services Coordinator, ADA Consultant, Southern Tier Independence Center, Binghamton , NY: “I have been an avid hiker, camper and nature lover for my entire life. I have been working at an independent living center for people with disabilities for 23 years and have been doing accessibility consultations for almost 27 years. For me, the UTAP training was a dream come true – a chance to bring together two fields of interest that are dear to my heart. 
“I know many people with disabilities who are willing to risk moderate accessible or even “difficult” trails with planned assistance. The problem has always been determining levels of accessibility. The UTAP process takes away the subjectivity and replaces it with factual, usable data. This training will help tremendously in my work, particularly after the ADA Guidelines for Outdoor Environments are finalized and more parks and recreation areas seek to provide access. I believe the UTAP process is key to providing greater access to the outdoors for people with disabilities and I fervently hope that more people can be trained to utilize the process.”
Lynda Rummel, Ph.D., Past President, Friends of the Outlet, Inc., Penn Yan , NY: “A couple of years ago, I found this recorded at our trail head register box: “My wheelchair did it! Whoopee!” This comment made me realize that persons using wheelchairs are already trying to use the trail, but in its current state the trail is often too arduous for most. It is my goal to find ways to make the Outlet Trail more accessible to the ARC members who picnic at the trail head and to all persons with disabilities. By learning UTAP, I can provide objective information about trail conditions for everyone and I am better equipped to shape construction and maintenance decisions towards increasing accessibility.”
Karl Beard, National Park Service Rivers and Trails Program, Hyde Park , NY: “I'm still high on that workshop. It was a success on all fronts. Right now, I'm negotiating with the Park to buy the equipment and software, in return for working with them to assess their trails, once certified. Thanks.”
Michael Hellman, Westchester Residential Opportunities/Westchester on the Move, Peekskill , NY: “ I have been involved with disability access issues for over 15 years, but cannot recall working with such a committed and community-spirited group. Your strong belief in the benefits of UTAP and your desire to open up trails to all persons enabled two days of intensive learning to be most enjoyable. Thank you for providing me with an invaluable experience and I look forward to our trail work ahead.”
29 Elk Street w Albany, NY 12207 w (ph) 518-434-1583 w (fax) 518-427-0067 w ptny@ptny.org
Parks & Trails New York is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization as defined by the IRS.