Inaccessible Tulsa

10/10/2026

10/08/2026

Gathering Place, 33rd Pl Parking Lot, 33rd and Riverside, Tulsa, OK

It was “deep dive night,” trying to figure out how the 33rd and Riverside unpaved lot could have no accessible parking spaces. None.

The entire Gathering Place (not including the lot behind Discovery Lab) has a total of 6 van accessible spaces across multiple lots. (Please feel free to recount them.)

Our search could not find anything that exempts the legal obligation to provide accessible parking spaces in this lot due to “overflow” parking, “unpaved” or “gravel,” or “temporary” facilities. Instead, we found language related to Title II of the ADA that points to providing it.

Directly from the regs:

“The ADA is meant to ensure that people with disabilities can fully participate in all aspects of civic life. Under Title II, all state/local governments must follow the ADA regardless of their size.”

“Title II of the ADA requires state/local governments to give people with disabilities an equal opportunity to benefit from all of their programs, services, and activities. State/local governments can’t deny people with disabilities the chance to participate or make them participate in different programs than available to others.”

“Provide program access by ensuring that individuals with disabilities are not excluded from programs because existing buildings or facilities are inaccessible to them.”

“Follow specific standards for physical accessibility when building or altering a building or facility.”

“State/local governments are required to provide program access. The program access requirement ensures that individuals with disabilities are not excluded from any program or service because existing buildings and facilities are inaccessible. State/local governments must look at their programs/services in their entirety or as a whole to ensure that they are accessible to individuals with disabilities.”

And then there’s this:

“If a request or action would cause an undue burden, the state/local government must look for an alternative to ensure that individuals with disabilities receive the benefits or services provided by the state/local government.”

If the Gathering Place declares that it is an undue burden to create accessible spaces in the unpaved overflow lot, we have a solution: Count the total number of spaces in the unpaved overflow lot, scope the number of accessible parking spaces necessary to comply with the ADA, and then distribute them among the existing paved lots.

10/07/2026

Gathering Place, Tulsa Wave Parking, E 31st St and Riverside Dr

To be honest, before this week we had only been to the Gathering Place twice. Our reasons mirror experiences you all have had: difficult parking at the top of the list and no accessibility map (with surprise stairs) a close second.

We like interesting walks on maintained paths – City of Tulsa parks rarely maintained – in what feels like safe surroundings. Our daughter has an all-terrain wheelchair with brakes, so a day chair without brakes can be left at home. While the slope of some sidewalks and paths may be ADA-compliant, they can feel steep in a day chair without brakes. That includes the Gathering Place.

After visiting all the Gathering Place parking lots, we decided to take a different approach. Utilizing the collective FEW van accessible spaces, we can potentially avoid more crowded lots and reach different features in closer proximity to where we park.

This particular lot is off Riverside near the Tulsa Wave Park. Be forewarned: The foliage is prominent at the entrance to this lot, making it easy to drive right past.

What the Gathering Place got right:

There are a total of 18 spaces in this lot, requiring a minimum of one accessible parking space (and that’s all that is provided). If there is only one space, it must be a van accessible space. If the van accessible space is angled, the access aisle must be on the right/passenger side.

What the Gathering Place got wrong:

The vertical accessible parking sign is missing, and there is no “van accessible” vertical parking sign. There is a picnic area next to the parking lot with four identical picnic tables, but none are wheelchair accessible.

10/06/2026

Gathering Place, 2650 S John Williams E, Tulsa, OK

Signage

According to federal ADA standards, parking signs do not have to be “handicapped blue” and white. Although that presentation is the “standard,” the primary goal is high visual contrast and clear visibility.

The Gathering Place appears to have chosen aesthetics over function. (See photos.) The contrast is quite low, making them difficult to read. (Note: We have deliberately not pointed out the sign by marking up the photos. We want you to find the sign against the background of the Gathering Place, and we want you to discern the text on the sign without a prompt.)

Rather than marking each individual accessible parking space with individual vertical signage, the Gathering Place also chose in some areas to use only two vertical signs with directional arrows to designate where accessible parking spaces begin and end. That is an acceptable and ADA-compliant approach, but may increase the likelihood of people without a Disability Placard to park in the scant number of accessible spaces.

In places where there is a complete absence of accessible vertical signage, that is a clear violation of the ADA. Absence of “van accessible” vertical signage is also a violation of the ADA. We found both. Remember: the International Symbol of Accessibility (ISA) painted on the concrete can supplement vertical signage but does not serve as a replacement for ADA-required vertical signage.

So while the federal 2010 ADA Standards for Accessible Design does not provide an exact contrast percentage for the sign’s background and text, a 70% contrast ratio appears to be the industry standard. We personally have no way to measure the contrast of the Gathering Place’s signage, but we can say that the images of signage we have shared would absolutely be difficult to read for an individual with low vision. How ‘bout you?

“Accessibility” is not just access to a park, or an accessible parking space. It is also access to the information to find them.

10/06/2026

Gathering Place, 2650 S John Williams E, Tulsa, OK

Accessibility is somewhat in the eye of the beholder but, with that said, the ADA is the ADA. Compliance is not debatable. Things like vertical signage, and the ratio of van accessible spaces to standard accessible spaces, is not optional or up for interpretation. In the case of accessible parking spaces, the number of spaces is a minimum requirement, but nothing says a place like the Gathering Place cannot provide more than the minimum.

Due to our daughter’s concomitant disabilities, both pre and post stroke, we likely perceive environments and inaccessibility differently than many. Including, but not limited to, her significant visual impairments that can be often addressed through colors and contrast, to minimal expressive communication that can be addressed with assistive technology and sign language, to loss of ambulation than can be addressed with mobility devices, ramps, curb cuts, specialized vehicles and accessible parking spaces, we likely have a unique and broader perspective on accessibility than some. Do we have all the answers? Absolutely not. But familiarity with the law and decades of exposure to disability does not hurt. We have lived this life for decades.

Our habit is to look at environments from the standpoint of what is legally required, what is deficient and how small changes, that may not be required by law, can improve accessibility and function.

Reading all the problems many of you are experiencing at the Gathering Place, from service dogs to accessible paths to bathrooms to parking (a biggie), we recognize there is a lot to cover, and a lot for others to share. Some of you are new to accessible vehicles and wheelchairs, and so knowing where to find van accessible spaces, rather than only standard accessible spaces, is critical. We all recognize there are deficiencies at the Gathering Place, but before we can advocate for change, we need to identify the problems.

We quickly ran by late yesterday while there was still daylight and performed a cursory drive through the main parking lot. Today we went back, visited multiple lots and even popped into a bathroom. We have also looked at Google Maps satellite images of multiple parking lots.

And so that this post does not get too long and cumbersome with a slew of photos, we are going to break this down into separate posts about signage, accessible spaces and van accessible spaces, maps…and where we intend to park next time we visit.

10/05/2026

♿️ UPDATE ♿️
Tulsa County Election Board, 12000 East Skelly Drive, Tulsa, OK

We first posted about the Tulsa County Election Board headquarters on August 25, 2026.

Since filing our formal ADA grievance about the inaccessibility of the headquarters, we thought we should check on the remediation. We ran by to take a look today. The Midterm Elections are quickly approaching (Tuesday, November 3), while early voting occurs at the end of October.

The four early voting locations are:

* Tulsa County Election Board headquarters, 12000 E. Skelly Drive
* Tulsa Technology Center Broken Arrow, 4000 W. Florence St.
* O’Brien Park Community Center, 6149 N. Lewis Ave.
* Chandler Park Community Center, 6500 W. 21st St.

We hope to check on the accessibility of the other three sites.

The first of several ADA violations in our formal grievance for the Tulsa County Board of Elections headquarters has been addressed. We are posting the before and after pics of the new sidewalk, truncated domes and curb cut to the parking lot.

We are satisfied with the outcome for this one violation but remain most concerned about the inaccessibility of the entry door. Tulsa citizens will be dropping off ballots and voting early at this address.

We will let you know if we become aware of any updates.

10/04/2026

Gathering Place, 2650 S John Williams E, Tulsa, OK

“Gathering Place is a park for everyone. It is a park built to full ADA compliance, where "equal play" is a common denominator for many of our park elements. The park is committed to providing a safe and fun space for all park guests.”

Yesterday we received these images of Gathering Place accessible parking in the overflow parking lot.

By now, our followers can likely recognize ADA-noncompliance without us pointing it out…but we will point out the violations anyway.

Unfortunately, “built to full ADA compliance” is false with the absence of vertical signage. “Built” is not enough; “run and maintained to full ADA compliance” is equally important but is also not true. The dumpster smack dab in the middle of an access aisle, there long enough to create a significant rust stain on the concrete, is not ADA compliant. Satellite images from Google Maps even picked up that ADA violation.

Our follower who sent these images is managing chronic health issues that have worsened to the point of now needing a wheelchair.

“There is so much physical and mental work involved in simply getting a disabled person out into the world, and then you finally get somewhere and discover that the world didn’t account for them being there.”

“I’m learning very quickly that so much of ordinary life simply was not designed with people like your daughter and me in mind.”

If individuals needing accessibility cannot even safely park, the proclaimed “full ADA compliance” of Gathering Place is moot.

One more thing: We’ll run by to measure the useable area of the parking spaces. The presence of the “handicapped blue” painted concrete car stop may reduce the size of the accessible parking space, rendering it ADA-noncompliant. We’ll report back.

In the meantime, we will be tagging Gathering Place and River Parks Authority.

Do better, Gathering Place. Either change your ways or change your “equal play” byline.

10/02/2026

Since the right to vote is a core principle of our democracy, the accessibility of polling places is of paramount importance. This 2023 article is about an analysis of the accessibility of the 2022 midterm elections and ADA noncompliant polling places.

Read more here.

10/02/2026

Tulsa City-County Library, 200 Civic Center, Tulsa, OK

Our Open Records Request has been filed both electronically and via USPS return receipt.

10/01/2026

YWCA Patti Johnson Wilson Center, 1910 S Lewis Ave, Tulsa, OK

“eliminating racism, empowering women”

Yes, the YWCA must comply with Title III of the ADA. And if they receive federal dollars, they must also comply with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.

It’s that simple.

We can love an institution and simultaneously expect them to comply with a civil rights law.

Note: We did not check the other accessible spaces or whether there is an appropriately-sized van accessible space. 🌧️