After an endless winter, spring is peeking over the horizon, like crocuses in the snow. As a wheelchair user, spring historically offers the promise of getting out with ease. The light half of the year offers fair temperatures and a plethora of sunshine that makes our bodies (or at least my body) function better.
While I encourage everyone to hop a train, bus, or Uber, and get outside, the upcoming seasons have always motivated me to roll a bit beyond the paved path.
A new proposal from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) intends to expand the scope of mobility devices that are welcome on DEC managed land. The goal of this proposal is to increase access to the wide variety of outdoor activities ranging from hiking to hunting across almost five million acres.
DEC Commissioner Amanda Lefton explained, “Forest and natural areas provide physical and mental health benefits to millions of New Yorkers, and this proposed policy would improve transparency and help ensure that those benefits are available to people of all abilities.”
While our community has always been welcomed on state lands, the devices we use to locomote might not be based on how a wheelchair is defined. According to weconservepa.com, the United States Department of Justice defines a wheelchair as “A manually operated or power-driven device primarily for use by an individual with a mobility disability for the main purpose of indoor or both indoor and outdoor locomotion.”
However, the DOJ’s definition of Other Power- Driven Mobility Devices (OPDMDs) is broad enough to encompass any vehicle with a motor from golf carts to large trucks. More specifically they are defined as any mobility device powered by batteries, fuel, or other engines they may or may not be designed for a disabled population but are used by us for locomotion.
Opening pedestrian areas to disabled people who use OPDMDs ensures that we will both feel welcome and not worry about having our right to access challenged if our mobility devices don’t fit the look of a traditional manual or power chair.
Up until recently, I was exclusively a scooter user from the age of 14. The features of my various scooters have supported my mobility needs and life goals. But I have also received pushback when out in the community in regard to my scooters, looking more like a go-kart or electric bike and less like a wheelchair. Last October, while visiting a large park in New Jersey my scooter was mistaken for an e-bike and I had to argue my way out of being barred from entering the event I wanted to go to. That being said, overall, my wheels have taken me through a variety of experiences and terrains in nature.
Growing up, I always dreamed of camping and hiking, but it wasn’t until I had the right equipment and right partner to adventure with that I really got a chance to “rough it” outside staying in a hotel that didn’t have room service.
My wheels have seen their fair share of mud, sticks, and sand. We’ve scooted through hiking paths and fairy and nature trails both as a couple and as a family hiked around Eagle Lake in Acadia National Park and tent and cabin camped in New York, New Jersey, Maine, and Pennsylvania.
The DEC is committed to making activities, programs, and services more accessible through physical design, alternate forms of communication, inclusive programs, and individual accommodations. Programs like Lifetime Liberty Pass and Access Pass give disabled vets, and disabled people who are not vets free access to the park system. Additionally, there are free and discounted hunting and fishing licenses available for blind and disabled patrons.
Much of the DEC managed lands feature accessible trails, campgrounds, fishing, piers, and boat launches. Reinstein Woods, Rogers Environmental Education Center and Five Rivers in New York offer mobility scooters to expand on the inclusive options. Five Rivers also features a wheelchair charging station for patrons who want to get energized for a longer hike.
While the proposal has the potential to open greater mobility options for our community, wheelchairs are welcome on DEC managed lands, and there are a plethora of inclusive opportunities to enjoy right now.