PETCO Park Accessibility Team Recognized With Distinguished Peacemaker Award
Local Disabled Community Group, San Diego Padres and City Staff Collaborate to Improve Accessibility At PETCO Park

SAN DIEGO – The PETCO Park Accessibility Collaboration Team were honored for their efforts by the National Conflict Resolution Center at a recent awards ceremony.  Erik Judson, executive vice president for external affairs for the San Diego Padres and Louis Frick, executive director of The Access Center as well as Linda Woodbury, disability services coordinator and Vern Westenberger, senior compliance officer, both with the City of San Diego received the prestigious Peacemaker Award for their efforts in helping to design optimal access for persons with disabilities at PETCO Park to ensure the new ballpark is fan-friendly for everyone.

The PETCO Park Accessibility Collaboration Team was formed during the design stages of PETCO Park in an effort to implement effective accessibility strategies for persons with disabilities throughout the facility.  The Padres contacted Louis Frick who served as an Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance consultant to create an accessibility task force in order to gather information from San Diego's disability community and, whenever possible, to incorporate that information into the design of the ballpark. 

Fueled by the initial input provided by Frick, Westenberger, who works for the City’s Community and Economic Development Department’s Disabilities Services Program gathered additional input and comments from notable local organizations including, the San Diego Center for the Blind, the local chapter of Californians for Disability Rights, the Deaf Community Center, Disabled Veterans of San Diego, the San Diego chapter of the American Council for the Blind and National Federation of the Blind.  With these recommendations ballpark developers created a facility that exceeds ADA requirements featuring innovative wheelchair seating options, changes to the degree of slope in ballpark ramps, electrical outlets for charging wheelchairs and improved access to restrooms.

“Vern did an incredible job of making sure that as many voices from the disabled community were being heard, even if they were in conflict with each other,” said Linda Woodbury, disability services coordinator for the City of San Diego who will receive a Peacemaker award with Westenberger.  “That effort not only significantly improved the design plans for PETCO Park, but also allowed the disabled community to truly feel that their concerns were addressed.”

By engaging the community who best understands the challenges they face while visiting public facilities, the PETCO Park Accessibility Collaboration Team was able to let the community’s suggestions drive the design decisions and initiate corrections when necessary.   The cooperation between the Padres and the City of San Diego through the plan approval process was critical to the success of the project.  As a part of the team, both had a mutually desired objective of getting it right. 

"The Padres made a commitment at the beginning of the development process for PETCO Park to be a ballpark that is accessible to all fans,” said Judson.  “With the help of a world class design team, numerous volunteers who donated hundreds of hours to the cause, and thorough review and input from the City, we have a ballpark that breaks new ground in accessible design for sports facilities."

The San Diego based National Conflict Resolutions Center, a private, non-profit corporation specializing in alternative dispute resolution, presented the team with the award.  The Accessibility Team was among four other recipients honored with a Peacemaker Award which have been given to deserving people both locally and from around the country for the past 17 years.

The City’s Disability Services Program is responsible for removal of architectural barriers and is a part of the City’s Community and Economic Development Department.  Disability Services coordinates City compliance with the federal Americans with Disabilities Act and other related state and federal laws that extend civil protection to persons with disabilities.

For more information about disability services offered by the City, contact the Community and Economic Development Department/Disabilities Division at (619) 236-5979 or visit the City’s Web site at www.sandiego.gov/ced.

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With an emphasis on the City’s urban core neighborhoods and low and moderate income residents, the Community and Economic Development Department strives to improve the quality of life and ensure a healthy economy in San Diego through job development, business development, neighborhood revitalization, public improvements, redevelopment, social services, and revenue enhancement.