Top Ten

Top Ten Accessible and Inclusive Sites for people to visit:

Skate Parks around Salt Lake
Sugar House Park
Taylorsville Park
Salt Lake Multicultural Festival
Oktoberfest
Gateway Mall
Wheeler Farm
Diwali: Festival of Lights
Great Salt Lake Gun Club
Utah Brazilian Festival


Public Skate Parks in Salt Lake City

Salt Lake City is known as being a place for people who like to be outside and active. The city and the surrounding areas have a lot to offer active individuals, and that is why Utah is becoming the place to be for the outdoorsy types. All though Utah has a wide variety of activities to do, not all of them are actives that can be done by everyone. That is why we have compiled a list of activities and sites that we believe are fully inclusive along with being accessible to everyone as well.
Skate parks are very popular all over the US, and that goes the same for Utah. There are skate parks scattered all throughout Utah, and four in the surrounding Salt Lake area. Using our peers site analysis’s we have determined that skate parks are very accessible and inclusive of everyone. Skate parks are usually funded by a foundation or by the city they are in, so they are almost always public. Most of them are located in park settings, cost nothing to use, and allow for a variety of activities. At most skate parks you can skate board, roller blade, or BMX. People of all ages can use the skate park, and lots of different ethnicities may be present. The skate parks are typically not used by one specific race, and everyone there is participating in the same activity, so it is easy to feel included. Skate boards and roller blades are really not very expensive, so a wide range of people can participate, and with locations all over the city, getting to a park is not to hard either.

There are four skate parks in the surrounding Salt Lake area.
Jordan Skate Park
http://www.concretedisciples.com/skateparksdb/skateparks_display.php?id=21

Salt Lake City Skate Park
http://www.concretedisciples.com/skateparksdb/skateparks_display.php?id=1419

Richard L. Guthrie Skate Park
http://www.concretedisciples.com/skateparksdb/skateparks_display.php?id=1617

Fairmont Park
http://www.concretedisciples.com/skateparksdb/skateparks_display.php?id=2105


Sugar House Park

Sugar House Park is a site also identified by our class as to be a very accessible site. It is located on 1300 East 2300 South. It is a pretty big park with running trails, a lake, soccer and baseball fields, basketball court, playgrounds, volleyball courts, and even an amphitheater. All of these activities are free and can be accessed by anyone. Parks are very accessible, and really anyone with a disability would be able to get around. A wide range of people use the park so it is a very inclusive site as well. There are no real main users of a park, so that really limits any kind of minority there, and any would feel comfortable there.

http://www.sugarhousepark.org/

Taylorsville Park

Taylorsville Park is another example of a great accessible and inclusive site in Salt Lake that was listed by our classmates. The park includes a large playground, a volleyball court, horse shoe pits, and an area to have gatherings. This site is also very accessible to everyone, has no entry fee, and has a wide range of users so it is very inclusive.

http://www.recreation.slco.org/parks/taylorsville/index.html

Salt Lake Multicultural Festival

The Salt Lake Multicultural is a site that was recommended by one of our classmates. She said it was a very inclusive site and was also very accessible to anyone who wanted to attend. The event is free and takes place at the University of Utah’s Art building. Seeing as it is a festival for al different cultures this is a great inclusive activity to go check out. There are people from all over the world that to show the audience dances and other traditions of their native countries. Salt Lake is already a very diverse place. Everywhere you go you will see people of different races. The people that go to this festival are usually there because they would like to learn more about different cultures, and the student from our class said that everyone was interacting with each other, taking pictures and looked to be having a good time. This is the 7th year it has happened and will probably happen next year so if you would like to check out a site that is very inclusive and want to learn about different cultures, this is a great site to visit.

http://www.saltlakeamericanmuslim.com/culture_fest.html


Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest took place at Snowbird, Utah on September 18th, 2009. It was recommended by another student as being a great inclusive site to visit. At Oktoberfest, a visitor can experience different foods, shop around a little, dance to the German music, or meet people who are working there. People of all ages participate at this site, and it is reasonably accessible for everyone. Almost 80,000 people came to Oktoberfest last year, which makes it one of the most visited festivals in Utah. People love to interact with each other and the general vibe I got from reading what our peers had to say about it was it was a very fun place to go. The point of the festival is to show people what German culture is like and it is that reason that I think this site is very inclusive, and except for the price and possibly transportation issues to get up to Snowbird, it is very accessible as well.

http://www.snowbird.com/events/concertsnfestivals/oktoberfest.html

The Gateway

The Gateway mall was a very popular response from our class regarding inclusive and accessible sites in Utah. The Gateway is a really nice mall, with lots of stores, places to eat, and activities like movie theaters and arcades. Although most of the stores there are pretty nice, there are still a wide variety of people who go to shop and walk around. There are escaladers and elevators everywhere so getting around would not be a problem for anyone, disabled or not. There is no cost to walk around and hang out, so really anyone can have access to the site. Many different age groups use the site, and it is very popular so it usually has a lot of people walking around. The Gateway is a very nice and inclusive site, and we would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a nice inclusive mall.

http://www.shopthegateway.com/

Wheeler Farm

This particular location is an extremely family friendly and inclusive experience. To begin with, the location itself is easy to access for all being off a main road. It also offers free admission and free food to feed the animals making it not only inclusive in a way that any social class can access the property but also participate. It also provides paved walkways for those with disabilities to use if needed. The activities also help to engage visitors even if they are not participating directly, but rather watching their children/grandchildren participate. This gives those who are watching a chance to relax when they themselves don’t have to keep their children/grandchildren entertained. Due to the accessibility in price, location, and participation, Wheeler Farms is a top ten inclusive site.

http://www.wheelerfarm.com/

Diwali: Festival of Lights

This event took place at the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple. In terms of the event, people of most ethnicities attended and every one was included regardless of religion or other similar characteristics. During the ceremonies, everyone was included in the dancing and all other aspects as well. Though those with physical handicaps may not have been included, all ages, races and genders were making this site a top ten inclusive site.

http://www.utahkrishnas.org/

Great Salt Lake Gun Club

This site, though a bit different in terms of the recreation activity being done, is still an inclusive experience. Its close proximity to the city ensures that it is accessible to just about anyone who is able to access public transportation. With paved pathways and a ramp, it is also accessible to those who are in wheelchairs or have other handicaps. Because of the controlled environment that this activity takes place in, it also allows a person of just about any age to participate and skill level. Though the price may be considered to be somewhat of an obstacle to some, this site overall is inclusive.

Utah Brazilian Festival

Overall, this event was very inclusive in all aspects. To begin with, the festival itself encouraged participation from everyone with the presence of vendors selling food, traditional clothing, and live music. The live music also encouraged people to dance with the live dance group as well; even those who standing to the side watching were encouraged to dance. This site was also accessible to those un able to walk without the use of some kind of aid. This site was a good medium to bring people of all types together to celebrate a different culture.

http://www.utahbrazilianfestival.com/