Happy Trails

Well, folks, we’ve made it. We’ve reached the first day of spring. Regardless of what the weather is like in your area, you’re probably looking forward to a time very soon, when you’ll be able to go out and enjoy nature. That’s a good thing! According to the National Wildlife Association’s Be Out There campaign, spending time outdoors has substantial benefits to our physical, psychological and spiritual health and well-being. For children with disabilities, those benefits are even greater says Kathy Ambrosini, director of education at the Mohonk Preserve in New Paltz, N.Y. In addition to her professional credentials, Ambrosini is also the mother of a child with autism.

“For these kids,” says Ambrosini, “time spent in natural settings can offer relief from their symptoms and an environment that helps them to think differently as they begin to craft new strategies for managing their disabilities.”

But, if you or someone you love has a disability, finding safe and accessible places for a hike, bird-watching outing or picnic isn’t necessarily a given. Making the issue more complex is the fact that what’s accessible to one person may not be accessible to another.

Fortunately, a new manual devised by Mass Audubon, a Massachusetts-based nonprofit dedicated to conserving the state’s wildlife, has gone a long way toward setting standards for making trails accessible to nature lovers with a range of disabilities.

Published in November 2016, “All Persons Trails” was designed to offer “guidelines and best practices” for organizations interested in “developing and operating universally designed interpreted trail experiences.” The trails Mass Audubon has designed throughout the state of Massachusetts, and that they hope other states will use as examples, exceed ADA regulations such as accessible restrooms, parking, drop-off zones and access routes and make it possible for adults with disabilities to enjoy the trails independently.

Mass Audubon trails are constructed to safely accommodate wheelchairs, strollers and walkers who require a smooth surface to safely navigate outdoor terrain. Railings, post and rope guiding systems and accessible seating areas are also provided. In addition, trail sites offer audio tours, braille texts and tactile maps, tour booklets and signage designed to be easily legible to the visually impaired, wider boardwalks, interpretive educational content about each site, as well as staff and volunteers trained to support accessible trail experiences. What’s more, all these accommodations are designed to be environmentally responsible and sustainable. For example, special care is taken to use sustainable and recyclable building materials, to avoid undue construction waste and to maintain the ecological balance of each area’s plant and wildlife.

While Mass Audubon is one organization that has taken steps to create accessible trails, they can be found all over the U.S. For a comprehensive list of accessible nature trails, visit AmericanTrails.org.