Blue Spring State Park adds ‘All-Terrain Tracked Chair’ for mobility challenged guests
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – Blue Spring State Park in Volusia County added an “All-Terrain Tracked Chair Program” for guests who are mobility challenged.
The new program is a partnership between the Friends of Blue Spring State Park and the Friends of Seminole State Forest, who loaned a chair to Blue Spring.
The chair is available to guests at Blue Spring on weekdays, or upon early notice for a weekend day. Seminole State Forest has a chair available on the weekends.
The tracked chair is available free of charge to guests and a park volunteer will be available to guide the guest through the park.
The chair has an “easy to grip joystick” feature so the guest can easily maneuver the chair. A park volunteer may also use a remote control to move the chair for the guest if the individual is unable to do so.
Some features of the tracked chair include:
- ADA compliant
- Safe to use
- Rolls over roots, sand, gravel and any other trail surfaces
- Guests learn to use the chair within minutes
According to a spokesperson for Blue Spring, the park implemented the chair because 13.5% of Floridians have challenges that limit their mobility. They believe access to trails should be more accessible to everyone.
“One lady has seen pinecones in stores or as part of decoration but had not seen one in nature for a few years,” the spokesperson said. “She was filled with joy to see them along the path.”
Another example Blue Spring pointed to was a guest who had “not been hiking for years due to an illness.”
“Today she got to go out on the trail with her husband. She was elated to be in his element and enjoying nature together.”
Individuals interested in reserving a chair can do so here.
