ADA Comment Period Closes

After a whirlwind 60 days, the comment period on the proposed ADA regulations for recreation facilities closed yesterday. IAAPA submitted its own comment on the proposed rules as well as a comment specifically on the miniature golf provisions. It was a collaborative effort between by IAAPA, the International Association for the Leisure and Entertainment Industry (IALEI), and the Miniature Golf Association of the United States (MGAUS). Additionally, many industry members submitted their own public comments on the rules directly to the Department of Justice (DOJ).

We had hoped the comment period would be extended into the fall to give more of our members time to read the regulations and comment on them, but that did not happpen. I am actually a little relieved this part of the process is complete—there were many long days and a lot of hard work leading up to the deadline.

The next step is for DOJ to publish a final rule to make the accessibility guidelines "official." The buzz around town is that this will happen before the next administration takes office (January 20, 2009), but there are no guarantees if the government will hit that target or not. IAAPA will notify its members when the rule is finalized.