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Date Presented 03/21/24 Using a stratified random sample, a survey assessed OT practitioners' attitudes, knowledge, and implementation of the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA). Results revealed a gap in practical understanding; implications are discussed. Primary Author and Speaker: Ellen Renee Cahoon Additional Authors and Speakers: Anne E. Dickerson [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with disabilities especially those with ambulatory difficulty (PWAD) have particularly limited access to recreation settings such as parks and other open spaces and this trend is expected to continue in the future. Given the limited access and physical limitations of PWAD, they cannot experience the multiple benefits of recreational activities. Beaches are an essential recreation setting that could provide significant physiological, psychological, and social benefits to PWAD. Providing adequate beach access for PWAD has been regarded as an important responsibility of public leisure agencies since the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. Several studies have measured PWAD's levels of access to fitness centers, community sports/recreation centers, and swimming pools, but there is a lack of empirical research with respect to beaches. The purpose of this study was therefore to measure beach accessibility for PWAD based on Duval County, Florida. To consider PWAD's unique physical characteristics, the beach access points were selected based on the ADA guidelines and a specific distance (0.25 miles) criteria. In addition, two distance-based access measures (1. the shortest street distance from the center of each census tract to the closest beach access point and 2. the average street distance from the center of each census tract to the seven closest beach access points) based on minimum distance and travel cost approaches were employed to demonstrate the sensitivity of the findings. GIS-based network analysis was employed to calculate the street distance. The results indicated that regional disparities in the levels of beach access for PWAD in Duval County were identified. Specifically, PWAD that live in the western, northern and southern regions of Duval County (e.g., cities of Baldwin and Jacksonville [northern and western part]) have extremely poor beach access. Conversely, PWAD that reside in the eastern region of the county (e.g., cities of Jacksonville [eastern part], Atlantic Beach, Jacksonville Beach, and Neptune Beach) have better beach access. This allows researchers and practitioners to better understand the local patterns of beach accessibility for PWAD, ultimately providing guidelines for location-based beach access planning and management. Such information could also be used by public leisure agencies to allocate limited resources, by identifying regions that are in need of increased recreational resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) associational disability provision. Topics discussed include the protections and limitations of this provision, the differences between the ADA and the Florida Civil Rights Act (FCRA) with respect to disability discrimination, and the various categories of associational disability discrimination claims.

The 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando, Florida was the deadliest terrorist attack in the United States since the September 11 attacks in 2001. With a final death toll of forty-nine people, and fiftythree others wounded, the attack sent shockwaves throughout the city, state, and nation. People sent condolences to the families of those affected, prayers for those taken, and praise tofirst responders and health care professionals for their hard work and service. What many fail to consider, however, is the lasting effect such a horrific and traumatic event can have on the first responders whose job it is to pick up the pieces after attackers rip the world apart. This Note begins by discussing the struggle of Gerry Realin, one of the police officers tasked with removing the bodies of the slain after the shooting. Officer Realin was deeply affected by the experience, and is currently in a fight with the state of Florida to have his PTSD covered by workers' compensation. Under current Florida law, first responders who experience psychological trauma on the job are not entitled to paid days off or to have their medical bills reimbursed by their employer, absent an accompanying physical injury. This Note argues that the current Florida workers' compensation statutory scheme results in unfairness tofirst responders, a class of people who put their lives on the line and frequently risk exposure to dangerous and highly stressful events. In addition, this Note addresses the constitutional arguments against such laws and proposes legislative changes necessary to remedy this injustice. Unfortunately, horrific events such as the Pulse shooting are seemingly becoming more frequent, and legislators need to reevaluate the effect these laws have on the men and women tasked with keeping our society safe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the impact of medical marijuana legalization on the employments laws in places such as Florida, and it mentions the passage of Florida's Amendment 2 to the constitution which allows people with debilitating medical conditions to use medicinal marijuana as prescribed by a Florida physician. Florida's medical marijuana law known as Charlotte's Web law is addressed, along with similar laws in Colorado and California. Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act is assessed.