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…blazing new trails

Accessible Gardens

Distributed:July 2011

Accessible Location • An accessible raised bed should be

located closest to the school• A raised bed garden shall be

considered at least semi permanent; thus, a patio area, with its flat, smooth surface, can be a good spot to build the bed, allowing easy access from your school to the garden

• The area along the bed frame’s edge should be cleared so that wheelchair users, as well as walkers, can easily reach the bed

• Place the garden in a visible location, so all students, teachers, parents, and community members can enjoy its beauty

Guidelines Checklist for Accessible Raised Bed Gardens

Accessibility

• It is vital for your site to be easily accessible for students with disabilities

• The path to the garden should be level and accessible**

• If your garden is a short walk from the classroom, there will be more teacher involvement than if the site is a long distance across the school grounds

• The garden should be accessible to students when they are not in class, so they explore and enjoy it on their own

• ** Note: Refer to U.S. Department of Justice ADA Guidelines - http://www.ada.gov/

Guidelines Checklist for Accessible Raised Bed Gardens

Materials and Initial Design

•

• Cedar, cypress, pine, redwood, and imported hardwoods are most frequently used for many types of containers because they hold up well to exposure from all kinds of weather

• From a cost effective point of view, wooden containers including bushel baskets, crates, boxes from the grocery store, and cheese boxes from a gourmet shop may be used **

• Adapt the boxes and containers to suit your space, and, particularly, your own range of motion, to keep them entirely accessible

• Geoblock is a non-leaching recycled plastic.

** Note: The aforesaid materials won’t last long, but since they’re usually readily available, replacing them shouldn’t pose much of a problem

Guidelines Checklist for Accessible Raised Bed Gardens

Materials and Initial Design (cont.)

Guidelines Checklist for Accessible Raised Bed Gardens

• The practical issues of the site grade, irrigation, fencing, shade, accessibility, and financial resources play significant roles in selecting the initial design**

• The simple design shall allow gardeners time to focus on growing vegetables rather than on building and maintaining garden beds

• Cinder blocks can be used to construct garden beds of a variety of shapes and sizes

• The garden design can be changed and the blocks can be reused

• Minimal skill is required to build a garden bed out of cinder block

**Note: An important initial design element may be a crucial factor to determine which materials to use in building the accessible gardens

Height

source: DIY Accessibility

• 6-12” high may suit for many gardeners including wheelchair users **

• A height of 18-30” may be required to accommodate all gardeners including people with disabilities

• If access is available from both sides of the bed, it can be made 36 inches wide, allowing 18 inch access from both sides

** Note: A raised bed garden, at 6-12” high, shall not aceesible for every gardener with a physical disability

Guidelines Checklist for Accessible Raised Bed Gardens

Length or Depth

source: DIY Accessibility

• A maximum length of 10’ for a raised bed is recommended depending on the aesthetics of the site, the type of plants you want to grow, and your own mobility

• At least a 3-foot area for clearance around the bed is recommended

• At least a 5-foot area is required for turning space for two more beds

• The center of the bed surface to allow complete access should be no greater than 18 inches; this includes the thickness of the bed support

** Note: The final measurement – depth – is determined by the raised bed’s height.

Guidelines Checklist for Accessible Raised Bed Gardens

Width or Height

source: DIY Accessibility

• As the bed width can only be a maximum of 18 inches to the center point, including the thickness of the bed support, the materials used to construct the raised bed shall be carefully considered

** Note: A raised bed garden, at 6-12” high, shall not be the universal solution for every gardener with a physical disability

Guidelines Checklist for Accessible Raised Bed Gardens

Special Modifications

Guidelines Checklist for Accessible Raised Bed Gardens

• The outdoor water spigot should be installed at a greater height to make it easier to reach

• Perforated pipes may be installed in the planter box in order to cut down on watering chores

• Having a toe space around the planter box shall allow student with disabilities to move more easily and comfortably reach the bed for gardening, and is particularly advantageous for the gardener working from a wheelchair

** Note: The garden should be accessible and manageable as possible for the gardener with a physical disability