by Alison Mitchell
Executive Director, New Jersey Conservation Foundation
Sean Kane-Holland is on a mission to make parks and trails more accessible for everyone. As the Access Nature Disability Advocate for the Pineland Preservation Alliance, he has evaluated dozens of state trails looking for barriers to people with disabilities. He also understands many of these obstacles.
“I use crutches and a wheelchair, but I am a very active person,” he said. “I go kayaking by myself, I go hiking … I am very mobile.”
Yet, natural areas in New Jersey can be seriously challenging – if not impossible – for the one in four disabled adults in the state. Many factors discourage or outright prevent disabled people from enjoying natural places. An overall lack of accommodation can leave visitors feeling unwanted, unsafe and uncomfortable.
Last year, Peri Nearon, executive director of New Jersey Division of Disability Services, attended an event where a wheelchair-bound speaker admitted she had given up on nature.
Given all we know about the physical and mental-health benefits of the outdoors, we should be looking to increase access to outdoor spaces for everyone. That’s why Kane-Holland leads Pinelands is for Everyone, a local effort that has grown into a statewide initiative called Nature: Accessible for All.
The Edward J. Bloustein School and Duke Farms have joined the alliance to enable recreating in nature regardless of ability, and got an important boost in funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The partnership focuses on assisting in the development of accessible outdoor spaces and establishing accessible land and water-based eco-educational/recreational programs.
An interactive map highlights Great Swamp National Wildlife Refuge in Basking Ridge, Pennington Park in Delanco, Cattus Island County Park in Toms River and more than 40 other outdoor sites with detailed information at storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/5d5e1b29f76a42299b708dc0457e7086
A public forum enables individuals with disabilities, advocacy groups, state and local governments and private organizations offering outdoor recreation to have a productive public dialogue.
What does accessibility look like when it comes to outdoor recreation? It means different things for different people, but there are many options for enhancing it. The Disabled Hikers Organization points out that, “There is no one-size-fits-all solution to creating accessible trails.”
The important thing is for agencies and organizations that manage outdoor spaces to look for opportunities to broaden the number of people who can enjoy them and provide reliable information on the accessible places that do exist.
You might think expanding access would require huge changes, but often small adjustments can make a big difference. Most trail signage, for example, assumes people are walking or standing. Enhancing accessibility could include placing amenities like signs at multiple levels to accommodate people in wheelchairs. Some trails already meet important criteria for accessibility – they are flat and sturdy, with an even trail bed and only slight slopes – and with just a few changes, could meet the needs of more visitors.
Larger initiatives include installing Braille trails that improve the outdoor experience for blind and low-vision visitors. New Jersey is already home to a handful, including the Morris Canal Greenway Trail in Stanhope, the Sensory Friendly Trail at Watchung Reservation in Mountainside and the Garrett Family Preserve in Cape May.
Visit pinelandsalliance.org/the-pinelands-is-for-everyone/ and inclusivehealthycommunities.org/ to learn more. For more information on preserving the state’s land and natural resources, visit the New Jersey Conservation Foundation website at www.njconservation.org or contact me at info@njconservation.org.
