OpportunityTitle: A program of training, technical assistance and research in the area of accessibility for citizens with disabilities in parks, recreation and tourism.
Description: This Funding Announcement is not a request for applications. This announcement is to provide public notice of the National Park Service (NPS), intention to fund the following project activities without competition. The purpose of this Task Agreement is to combine the resources and expertise of the National Park Service with that of the National Center on Accessibility, Indiana University to promote accessibility for people with disabilities all aspects of the park and recreation environment through technical assistance, training and research activities. ABSTRACT Funding Announcement P13AS00035 Project Title A program of Training, Technical Assistance and Research in the Area of Accessibility for Citizens with Disabilities in Parks, Recreation and Tourism. Recipient National Center on Accessibility, Indiana University Total Anticipated Award Amount $196,071.00 Cost Share N/A Anticipated Length of Agreement Date of award through September 30, 2014 Anticipated Period of Performance Date of award through September 30, 2014 Award Instrument Task Agreement under Cooperative Agreement H2420100163 Statutory Authority 16 U.S.C. 1g CFDA # and Title 15.916 Outdoor Recreation Acquisition, Development and Planning Single Source Justification Criteria Cited Unique Qualifications Point of Contact June Zastrow 303-987-6718; june_zastrow@nps.gov OVERVIEW Cooperative Agreement Number H2420100163 was entered into by and between the Department of the Interior, National Park Service, (NPS), and Indiana University, on behalf of the National Center on Accessibility (NCA). The primary goal of the Cooperative Agreement is to combine the resources and expertise of the Service with that of the University in order to promote accessibility for people with disabilities in all aspects of the park and recreation environment. Unless otherwise specified herein, the terms and conditions as stated in the Cooperative Agreement will apply to this Task Agreement. STATEMENT OF JOINT OBJECTIVES/PROJECT MANAGEMENT PLAN The National Center on Accessibility, which was established in cooperation with Indiana University&#191;s Department of Recreation, Park and Tourism Studies, assists the NPS and the Accessibility Management Program in achieving the goals of equal access. The NCA provides training in accessibility; special seminars on critical issues such as trail, campground, picnic area, playground and beach access; direct technical assistance to parks; and research on issues related to access. During FY2013, the Accessibility Management Program, with National Center on Accessibility assistance, will conduct training and technical assistance, conduct comprehensive access evaluations at specific parks, provide technical assistance, promote research to find better ways of making the parks accessible, and work with the parks to correct existing access deficiencies. RECIPIENT INVOLVEMENT A. NCA agrees to: 1. Work with the Service, primarily through the NPS Accessibility Management Program staff, but also with specific parks and other units of the Service, to evaluate the current status of accessible park, recreation, and tourism programs, facilities, and services in order to determine the needs for training, technical assistance, and research needed to improve the level of accessibility services for persons with disabilities. 2. Work closely with the NPS Accessibility Management Program to examine trends in the park and recreation field for purposes of identifying accessibility training, technical assistance, and research needs for NPS and park and recreation professionals. 3. Utilize the educational resources and expertise of the University to work with the staff of the Service to develop and implement a national training and education program for park and recreation professionals at the federal, state, local and private level, designed to increase awareness and knowledge of how to ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to park and recreation facilities, programs and opportunities. 4. Coordinate with the Service to provide technical assistance, information and consultation services for park and recreation professionals at the federal, state, local and private level designed to assist them in ensuring that their facilities, programs and opportunities are accessible to people with disabilities, consistent with applicable laws, standards and regulations. 5. Work with the staff of the Service to undertake a field based research program designed to identify research issues related to improving accessibility for people with disabilities in the park and recreation environment, and initiate strategies to promote and conduct that research. 6. Collaborate with the staff of the NPS Accessibility Management Program and federal, state, local, and private park and recreation entities to evaluate the effectiveness of NCA training, technical services, and research, and modify the products as determined by that evaluation. 7. Take the information gathered and produced under this Cooperative Agreement and share it with the general public and the park and recreation field. Use of the web, in-class and web-based training, technical assistance, and hard-copy research materials will allow the research to benefit the public at-large. NATIONAL PARK SERVICE INVOLVEMENT B. NPS agrees to: 1. In conjunction with the NCA, evaluate the current status of accessible programs, facilities and services in order to assess the needs for training, technical assistance and research for park and recreation professionals to improve the level of services for people with disabilities. 2. Work with the NCA to evaluate the effectiveness of their training, technical assistance and research in the area of accessibility for persons with disabilities to determine revisions and additions as needed. 3. Provide the technical expertise of the Service&#191;s Accessibility Management Program to work with the University, to assist in the development and implementation of a national training and education program, including workshops, seminars, and fieldwork, for NPS and other federal, state, local and private park and recreation professionals, designed to increase awareness and knowledge of how to ensure that people with disabilities have equal access to park and recreation facilities, programs and opportunities. 4. Utilize the extensive resources of the Service in conjunction with that of the University to develop and implement a national technical assistance, information and consultation program for NPS and other park and recreation professionals at the federal, state, local and private level designed to assist them in ensuring that the facilities, programs and opportunities are accessible to people with disabilities, consistent with applicable laws, standards and regulations. 5. Utilize the extensive resources of the National Park System in working with the University to develop and implement a field based research program designed to identify research issues related to improving accessibility for people with disabilities in the park and recreation environment, and initiate strategies to promote and conduct that research. 6. Work with the staff of the University to evaluate the effectiveness of the partnership in providing training, technical services and research, and make modifications as determined by that evaluation. SINGLE-SOURCE JUSTIFICATION DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR SINGLE SOURCE POLICY REQUIREMENTS Department of the Interior Policy (505 DM 2) requires a written justification which explains why competition is not practicable for each single-source award. The justification must address one or more of the following criteria as well as discussion of the program legislative history, unique capabilities of the proposed recipient, and cost-sharing contribution offered by the proposed recipient, as applicable. In order for an assistance award to be made without competition, the award must satisfy one or more of the following criteria: (1) Unsolicited Proposal &#191; The proposed award is the result of an unsolicited assistance application which represents a unique or innovative idea, method, or approach which is not the subject of a current or planned contract or assistance award, but which is deemed advantageous to the program objectives; (2) Continuation &#191; The activity to be funded is necessary to the satisfactory completion of, or is a continuation of an activity presently being funded, and for which competition would have a significant adverse effect on the continuity or completion of the activity; (3) Legislative intent &#191; The language in the applicable authorizing legislation or legislative history clearly indicates Congress&#191; intent to restrict the award to a particular recipient of purpose; (4) Unique Qualifications &#191; The applicant is uniquely qualified to perform the activity based upon a variety of demonstrable factors such as location, property ownership, voluntary support capacity, cost-sharing ability if applicable, technical expertise, or other such unique qualifications; (5) Emergencies &#191; Program/award where there is insufficient time available (due to a compelling and unusual urgency, or substantial danger to health or safety) for adequate competitive procedures to be followed. NPS did not solicit full and open competition for this award based the following criteria: Competition was not sought for this Task Agreement as it is part of a Cooperative Agreement between the National Park Service and the National Center on Accessibility, Indiana University for the purposes of national training, technical assistance and research in the area of accessibility to the park and recreation environment.
GrantorContactEmailDescription: June_Zastrow@nps.gov
GrantorContactText: June Zastrow, 303-987-6718&lt;br/&gt;June_Zastrow@nps.gov&lt;br/&gt;