News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
A new all-terrain wheelchair has arrived at the Alvin C. York State Historic Park, allowing visitors with disabilities to better enjoy the park.
Park Manager Nate Dodson said the chair is designed to navigate a large variety of different terrains in order to handle the park’s trails. Dodson said it is important for state parks to be as accessible as they can for everyone who wants to come.
“They can cover rough and rocky ground, much like a lot of our trail systems are across the state,” Dodson said. “But yeah, they give, they give our visitors mobility and access to enjoy our parks that we – we didn’t have before, so yeah, we’re excited to be one of the parks that has received one.”
Dodson said these all-terrain wheelchairs are becoming more common at different parks throughout the state. Fall Creek Falls and Cordell Hull State Park also received the wheelchairs this week, a total of 10 parks statewide getting the additional access.
Dodson said they got the chair by requesting it after trying one out that was already available at another park.
“As soon as we used it and saw it’s capabilities, we were totally sold,” Dodson said. “We thought ‘Hey, this is going to be great for folks that come out that need to utilize this chair to get around different parts of our park that were, you know, frankly kind of hard to get to otherwise.”
Dodson said they had a “soft opening” for the chair Monday and it is available for use now. Dodson said people can reserve the chair in advance online or come to the park and see if it is available that day. Dodson said he would definitely call ahead.
Dodson said they do not want anyone to feel that they cannot access certain areas of the park due to a disability.
“We want everybody to be able to have their family member along with them as they go on a hike, those kinds of things,” Dodson said.
