The Americans with Disabilities Act Accessibility Guidelines (ADAAG) state that ground and floor surfaces should be firm, stable, and slip-resistant. These three terms are not well defined and may be interpreted differently by many people. Not all ground surfaces need to be constructed for universal access, however when constructing a universally accessible trail, keep in mind that these three terms—firm, stable, and slip-resistant—are being used to define a trail surface that is easily traveled by individuals using canes, walkers, crutches, wheelchairs, or other mobility aids. This study tested various trail surfacing products for how well they achieved these requirements.
