This presentation discusses the progress being made within the Calumet Region concerning the ADA and showcases our volunteers collaborating with our parks departments.

1. CAUSES FOR CHANGE
PROJECT
BARRIER FREE BEACH 2020
OVERVIEW: 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019 & 2020
GARY’S MILLER SPOTLIGHT

2. BARRIER FREE BEACH
2015: THE NEED 4 BFB

3. 2015
2015 launched Gary’s Miller Spotlight
4,013 SWOT comments were collected
Access Miller Action Group Started
Need for Barrier Free Beach Committee was seen
October 2015, Gary’s Parks & Rec Superintendent met with
volunteers from Miller Spotlight
November 2015, Barrier Free Beach Chairperson was appointed.
(Zully JF Alvarado)
November 2015, Gary’s Parks & Rec Dept. submitted Coast Grant

4. BARRIER FREE BEACH
2016: PLANS & ACTIONS

5. January 2016
Barrier Free Beach 1st committee meeting
Location: Veterans Village
16 participants
Decided that action based initiatives were our focus (Kayak Launch)
Booked facility assessment dates
Received funding for portable ramps via Gary’s Miller Spotlight's receiving an Early
Action Grant ($750.00) from Legacy Foundation.
Received funding for 11 accessible bike racks for the Miller footprint via Gary’s
Miller Spotlight's receiving an Early Action Grant ($3,500.00) from Legacy
Foundation.
Received Coastal Grant

6. February 2016
Barrier Free Beach 2nd committee meeting
Location: Marquette Park Pavillion
Received assessment training from Great Lakes ADA
Center
Conducted assessment of Marquette Park Pavillion
Filmed process for Access 4 All multimedia series
NWIPA submitted Transform Lake Co. Grant for kayak
launch to Legacy Foundation

7. March 2016
Conducted 17 additional assessments: Aquatorium, Chanute Trail,
Father Marquette Garden, Shelter 5, Playground, Cafe, Woodson
Library, MBACD, Miller Pizza, Vibrations, Indie Indie Bang Bang, 444
Grill, exterior of Captain’s House, Beach Cafe, 18th St, Brasserie,
Great Lakes Cafe
Disability Awareness Month Kickoff at the Blind Social Center
Redevelopment Training
Art Contest
School presentations
Conducted Web Access Training: 26 attendees

8. April 2016
NWIPA received Transform Lake Co. Grant $25,000 for kayak launch to
Legacy Foundation
Gary’s Miller Spotlight & Causes for Change fundraised $8,900 for the
Kayak Launch, solar lights & ADA sidewalk.
Gary’s Miller Spotlight submitted ADA Coros grant for Access 4 All
series
Presented Kayak Launch concept at 4 city meetings and met with the
Army Corps of Engineers
Participated in focus group for 2016 Accessibility Community Focus
Group ( Sponsored by the Indiana Institute on Disability and Community)

9. May 2016
Advocated for Dune Buggy Program
Measured Kayak specs/ sidewalk
specs
Gary’s Miller Spotlight received ADA
Coros grant ($3,000) for Access 4 All
series
Continued to film Access 4 All series
Ordered Kayak Launch
Planned Ribbon Cutting to align
with the Gary Clean Water
Celebration

10. June 2016
Planned ribbon cutting
Ensured ADA compliancy was
maintained during project
implementation
Planned Weekly Sunset Paddles
Held Kayak Ribbon Cutting
Gary’s Kayak Launch+amenities
cost $33,000 (did it in 6 months)
Inspired our fellow Neighborhood
Spotlight Community, Hobart, to
also put in a Kayak launch

11. KAYAK LAUNCH RIBBON-CUTTING
A GREAT TURNOUT AND TONS OF COMMUNITY GOODWILL!

12. July 2016
NWIPA & Gary’s Miller Spotlight volunteers coordinated Weekly Sunset Paddles
Weekly Sunset Paddles led to weekly community cleanups of Shelter 5 area
and the Calumet Lagoon
Save the Dunes became an official partner and gave workshop on invasive
species removal
Weekly Sunset Paddles led to weekly community invasive species weeding of
Shelter 5 area and the Calumet Lagoon
Weekly Sunset Paddles led to weekly patronage to local eateries
Weekly Sunset Paddles led to more potential partners; Nature Conservancy,
Douglas Center, NIRPC, Ped-Pedal-Paddle, Adaptive Adventures…
Canoe Mobile with the Dunes Learning Center

13. August 2016
Partnered with Directed by Women Global Film Festival
to premiere Access 4 All series as part of their Global
Film Viewing Party
Conducted Weekly Sunset Paddles, community clean
ups, invasive species weeding and eatery patronage
Edited Access 4 All series
Participated in the 2016 Health Summit in Indianapolis
(Sponsored by the Indiana Institute on Disability and
Community)

14. September 2016
Premiered Access 4 All series as part of the Directed by
Women Global Film Festival’s Global Film Viewing Party
Conducted Weekly Sunset Paddles, community clean ups,
invasive species weeding and eatery patronage
Started Operation Ralph’s-Wilco
Determined need for Lagoon Outlook Garden
Started discussing Outdoor Adaptive Escapade planning
Began community ADA survey

15. Oct. Nov. Dec. 2016
Oct: Legacy Foundation site visit at Kayak launch
Oct: Adaptive Adventures meeting/tour (they decided to
partner with us on the OAE)
Nov: Parks Anniversary-Douglas Center put in an
accessible trail and we tested the beach/trail wheelchair
Access 4 All: Progress in the Parks was showcased at the
Indiana Welcome Center as part of The First Annual Indiana
Dunes Film Festival
Final Barrier Free Beach Committee Meeting of 2016

16. BARRIER FREE BEACH
2017: PLANS & ACTIONS

17. 2017
Jan. 1st BFB meeting of the year: Committed to the First Annual
Outdoor Adaptive Escapade and the Lagoon Outlook Garden
Continue to partner with stakeholders
Planning 2017 Weekly Sunset Paddles
Writing Grants & Seeking Partnerships
Received the Lake County Master Gardener Grant for the Lagoon
Outlook Garden
The First Annual Outdoor Adaptive Escapade will be on July 15, 2017
and it will showcase Downtown Emerson, Miller, Lake Station, Hobart
and Griffith

18. JULY 15, 2017
PROJECT
DATE CLIENT
RIBBON CUTTING
LAGOON OUTLOOK GARDEN
COMING SOON!

19. 2018, 2019 & 2020 Goals
2017 Bike Share 10 bikes funded ($18,000 via Legacy
Foundation Grant for Miller Spotlight) seeking $1600 to fund
ADA bike
2017 Paddle Share (seeking $26,000)
2018 Lake St. Beach Boardwalk
2018 Aquachairs for all Gary Parks with water amenities
2019 Universal Design Playground
2020 Barrier Free Beach Completed (and branch out to
neighboring communities/ businesses)

20. QUESTIONS???