Meeting Date
- Opening quotation
- “[February 8th’s] #GoogleDoodle shines a spotlight on Haitian American model and disability advocate Mama Cax. Learn about how she expanded the image of what people with disabilities should be or look like.”
- Invited Guests:
- Ivana Lopez Espinosa, Douglas Conley & Lunia Oriol - Matthaei Botanical Gardens (MBG) DEI Team
- Presentation Slides
- Accessibility Improvement Plan
- Botanical Gardens DEI Team read the 2019 IDEA Report, wants to respond to the suggestions therein
- Intent behind improving accessibility at MBGNA by directly working with the Disability community to move towards an inclusive and intentional design of programs and practices of the gardens
- Introductions
- Ivana - full time DEI Manager
- Lunia - Student Manager at the Campus Farm located at the MBG
- Doug - Horticulture Lead at the MBG and NA
- Overview of the Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum (MBGNA)
- Named after the most visible locations, but has four total locations and 840 acres
- Also includes Horner-McLaughlin Woods and Mud Lake Bog
- MBG includes 11 gardens and display areas, 3 miles of trails, campus farm, and indoor conservatory
- Estimated 150,000 visits each year
- Garden areas are arranged by what is growing in each space (ex. Herb garden, medicinal garden, wildflower garden, great lakes garden each have different plants)
- Display areas include a rock garden, urban pocket garden, sitting garden
- Goal of demonstrating lots of different plant communities, engage with the public about ecology
- Actively assessing what is grown in greenhouse and the history of conservatory structuring, as well as physical accessibility
- Some of what is grown here is used in art and biology classes on campus
- Also has a bonsai and penjing plants, a children’s garden, trails (some of which were made universally-accessible in 2007)
- NA includes display and natural areas, trails, and gardens and collections
- Estimated 350,000 visits each year
- Includes a variety of gardens and collections
- 7 trails, unpaved routes suggested for wheelchairs, although last time that information was updated was 2010
- Currently working with landscape architecture students to update this information
- Each trail map has information about trail length, estimated duration, difficulty, trail materials, features
- Accessibility issues
- Not all trails are accessible
- Student Campus Farm
- Started by a group of students who wanted to create a sustainable food system on campus
- Currently run by a student leadership team with a horizontal board
- Produce is sold to university and community partners, and donated to Maize and Blue cupboard
- Sometimes sold directly to students at a discount, during the fall semester
- Accessibility issues
- Tasks for volunteers and educational programs are often only accessible to people with full ranges of motion and some physical stamina (ex. Weeding, planting, carrying heavy things)
- Getting to the farm can be difficult, no regular transportation
- Trails around it are unpaved
- No bathrooms available nearby (have to go to the botanical gardens structure)
- Learn more about each place on the accessibility improvement plan
- Named after the most visible locations, but has four total locations and 840 acres
- History of MBGNA Accessibility Efforts
- Each trail has maps, including information on trail length, estimated duration, and features along the trail
- Goal of current project is to collaboratively increase accessibility through a multi-year plan
- Want to have a plan that centers the disability community
- Questions for CfDC
- Any feedback?
- Reach out to Ivana with further questions ([email protected])
- Or directly to the team at [email protected]
- Reach out to Ivana with further questions ([email protected])
- Questions that the MBGNA is currently asking to gauge visitor experiences:
- Does the garden or arb affirm a positive experience to visitors?
- How can we create experiences that prioritize a sense of belonging?
- What are the barriers to a positive experience?
- For CfDC: Are these the right questions to ask?
- Any feedback?
- Ivana Lopez Espinosa, Douglas Conley & Lunia Oriol - Matthaei Botanical Gardens (MBG) DEI Team
- Discussion
- Suggestion for accessible seating (for contemplation, drawing, resting) throughout the trails and gardens
- Sherman Gardens in CA are a great example of this
- Seating surfaces that is adequately high, with a back and arm supports
- Providing wheelchairs to borrow/lend
- Three are currently available at the information desk, but are first-come, first-serve
- Trail wheelchairs may also be an improvement
- AV is not up-to-date enough to hold a hybrid event there
- Technology is currently being updated, but even then may not be able to provide a successful hybrid experience
- A third party contractor (Quinn Evans) is working on these improvement as well as additional recommendations
- Ramps along spaces with stairs
- Offering virtual docent and photography tours
- where the mobile person follows the guidance of the bed bound individual in taking photographs of spaces visited
- Ensuring transportation vehicles are fragrance free
- Suggestion for accessible seating (for contemplation, drawing, resting) throughout the trails and gardens
- Announcements
- CfDC has a google calendar now!
- See on the website
- Subscribe to the calendar so it will show up on your calendar
- If you have information about disability mentorship programs, please email Dan Rabosky ([email protected] )
- Disability Navigators may have more information
- CRLT may also be interested in being involved with this in the future, although not sure if they have anything in place now
- Happy Valentines Day!!
- CfDC has a google calendar now!