Michigan State Parks Make Headway on Accessibility

According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, the Michigan state parks system now leads the nation in providing accessible equipment for visitors. The department offers track chairs that let people with mobility challenges access park trails and beaches, explains Marsha Chartrand in The Manchester Mirror.

“Michigan’s 25 publicly-accessible chairs narrowly beats out Wisconsin’s 24 and Georgia’s 23, said Adam Henning, a representative for Action Manufacturing, the nation’s largest track chair company.” With 12 percent of adult Michigan residents experiencing a mobility issue, the chairs are one way to make nature accessible to all residents.

The state offers track chairs at 15 state parks and plans to add them to 10 others soon. The effort is part of a larger initiative to expand accessibility, which was boosted by a $220 million infusion of federal funding in 2022. Disability advocates say the chairs are a good start, but that accessibility considerations should be expanded to all park facilities and equipment, including bathroom stalls, water faucets, and picnic tables.