09/04/2026
We talk with many park staff, trail designers, and others who think that making something "wheelchair accessible" means it is automatically accessible to everyone of every type of disability. This is false.
It's not even true for all wheelchair users. The type of wheelchair, an individual's degree of mobility, experience with outdoor recreation, and more are all factors in whether a trail is actually accessible.
There is no one size fits all to accessibility. Unfortunately, the ways in which accessibility standards were created prioritized one type of accessibility with the belief that it was a "baseline" for access for all. It is stereotyping of wheelchair users and a disservice to all disabled people.
For example, there are trails that I can do with my wheelchair, that I could never do on foot. There are trails that full time wheelchair users do that I can't, with a wheelchair or not.
This is also becoming true with "universal design" - the emphasis remains on a limited understanding of physical/mobility disability and everyone else is an "add on".
This is why projects must always include cross-disability leadership from the very start.
