In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of the American’s with Disabilities Act, wheelchairtraveling.com will be visiting parks all over America to highlight how this law has improved access to the outdoors for those with limited mobility. Parks that are selected have the most accessibility but the least amount of information about access on their website.
Our mission is to make it easier for people with limited mobility to plan a trip to parks that meet their accessibility needs and to help each park selected, to update their access information. To better serve visitors with accessibility needs, we will document the length and grade of a trail, trail surface, the locations of accessible restrooms and much more. Such details address the basic needs and concerns of people with limited mobility thereby enabling them to make informed decisions about what parks to visit. Park evaluations are based on the access conditions that currently exist and are not a determination of compliance with any access regulations. Cooperation and support from the corresponding NPS representative to create a sustainable model is also a part of the mission.
Fifteen National Parks have been selected to catapult the “Access to Parks Project,” though more access reviews at national, state and local parks will be included. In May, 2015, wheelchairtraveling.com will embark on a two-week journey from Atlanta, GA to Cleveland, OH to visit, evaluate, and promote access at three National Parks: Mammoth Caves, Shenandoah and Cuyahoga Valley; some state parks are also planned for the route.
We are seeking sponsorships and donations to cover the costs (transportation, accommodations and food) to visit the parks for evaluation. Donations to this project are tax-deductible, which is made possible by wheelchairtraveling.com’s fiscal sponsor, Access Northern California.
For more information about this project or to make a tax-deductible donation, please contact Ashley Olson, CEO & Founder of wheelchairtraveling.com, at info@wheelchairtraveling.com or visit www.wheelchairtraveling.com/donate.