States across the nation are making tremendous strides in improving accessibility to their state parks and trails. One big leap has been the addition of rugged track chairs, which feature “tank-like treads” to allow those who typically could not make the journey to enjoy the splendor of the outdoors.
Perched high on rugged cliffs overlooking Lake Superior, Split Rock Lighthouse dominates the shoreline. Visitors from across the country make the 113-year-old beacon one of the most-photographed lighthouses in the country.
The most spectacular view, many say, is from Pebble Beach, reachable only by a steep, winding forest trail that snakes its way to the rocky shore. The view is the reward for the effort it takes to reach the beach, but for visitors with mobility challenges, it could be inaccessible.
“I’ve lived here for 43 of my years and I did not know where all these photographers were getting those things,” said Jenna Udenberg, a disability advocate and accessibility educator who lives in Two Harbors.
No longer. Since August, the park has provided an all-terrain chair with tanklike treads to people with disabilities, opening this vista to everyone. It’s part of a multifaceted statewide push to expand access to the outdoors.
Minnesota is not alone.
So is the National Park Service.
For a long time the conversation has been about creating accessible trails by removing natural barriers, says Jeremy Buzzell, who has led the National Park Service’s Accessibility Program since 2014. He’s worked in the accessibility field for more than two decades, starting as a special education teacher. “Now, what is beginning to happen is there is a proliferation of technology that allows people to use trails as is, and we do not need to modify those trails because [park visitors] have equipment that can overcome the barriers.”
Simple modifications like making watercraft access, such as for kayaks and canoes, is being done by places like North Dakota.
And states like Maine are adding mobility pathways on their beaches to allow for access by those in wheelchairs or similar.
“The pathway provides a smooth and even surface designed to assist wheelchair users and others with physical disabilities so they have greater access to the beach,” said Amanda Beal, Commissioner of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. “We greatly appreciate the opportunity to make improvements to State Parks with funds allocated to implement the Governor’s Maine Jobs and Recovery Plan, as well as the strong community support that helped us to bring this project to fruition.”
It has been three decades since the passage of the Americans With Disabilities Act. These and other improvements are allowing those who previously could not enjoy the “great outdoors” to do just that. Here’s to seeing even more improvements to that access.