As much of the nation swelters under heat waves this summer, millions will head to oceans, lakes, and rivers to cool off. Family and friends will seek relief and recreation at national parks across the country, including national seashores, national lakeshores, national wild and scenic rivers, and other bodies of water in the National Park System. The National Park Service (NPS) knows that these areas need to be accessible and inclusive to ensure that everyone can enjoy swimming, boating, and other water activities.
Across the country, national parks are improving water access by adding ramps, accessible docks and launches, and other features whenever a major project to improve infrastructure is completed. In recent years, for example, projects have been completed to provide an accessible kayak launch at Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Michigan and water access at Jenny Lake in Grand Teton National Park in Wyoming. There are also a myriad of beaches with existing boardwalks and ramps that provide passage over dunes, such as Canaveral National Seashore in Florida and Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina. Even when sites have not completed major projects, the simple addition of matting systems has been used to make it easier for wheelchairs to navigate across sand and other natural surfaces near water, like those at Cape Cod National Seashore.
Other national parks are improving access to water by having beach wheelchairs on hand for visitors to borrow. At least twenty parks managed by the NPS offer some kind of mobility device that improves access to water, including Golden Gate National Recreation Area in California, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore, and Indiana Dunes National Park in Indiana. The type and amounts of devices available, and procedures for borrowing, differ by park. Those who are interested in learning more should visit specific park websites on NPS.gov or contact the park directly. Additional information about accessibility in national parks is available at Plan Your Visit - Accessibility on NPS.gov.
Working with the Reeve Foundation surrounding its ‘Outdoors for Everyone’ initiative and others in this space, together we can promote increased water access for people with disabilities by sharing information about opportunities at national parks. The National Park Service and our partners are committed to ensuring that our water features provide a positive experience because access to the outdoors is essential to mental and physical health for everyone. Spending the day at or in the water creates opportunities for exercise and family bonding; ensuring that visitors with disabilities and their families can create memories defined by possibilities, not preventable limitations.
About the Author: Jeremy Buzzell is based in Silver Spring, Maryland. He is the branch chief for the National Park Service Park Accessibility for Visitors and Employees program, overseeing accessibility-related technical assistance, outreach, training, and policy guidance for parks.