A New Trails Partnership: Making South Hero More Accessible and Inclusive

Approximately 1 in 4 people in the US live with disabilities, and historically, many outdoor spaces haven’t been designed to include them. Over the past few years, SHLT has increasingly been focusing on this injustice: it’s one of the main drivers behind projects like our inclusive paddles, the rebuilding of the wheelchair accessible boardwalk in the Rec Park, and design plans for the Islandacres Trail, our next major trail project.

We’re grateful to have a strong local partner and mentor in Cathy Webster, Northeast Disabled Athletic Association’s Kayak Program Manager. Earlier this year, we paired with Cathy to design a new project that will deepen our involvement in making our community’s trails and outdoor spaces more accessible for people with disabilities. We’re excited to share that this partnership is one of only 10 groups in the country who were awarded the Partnerships for Disability Access, Inclusion, and Leadership grant - a new grant co-created by the Land Trust Alliance and Disabled Hikers.

This funding allows us to create an Advisory Committee of community members with disabilities, their caregivers and family members, and advocates of the disabled community.

We’re also partnering with a member of the Disabled Students Union at UVM to conduct an audit of trails and outdoor spaces in South Hero. The results of this audit will be reviewed by the Advisory Committee, and by early next summer, we aim to have a list of recommendations to make South Hero’s spaces more accessible, and plans for how to accomplish them.

“Through my work with NDAA, I have seen the power of inclusive access to the outdoors for people with disabilities. I am thrilled that South Hero Land Trust is working to increase opportunities for inclusive and accessible outdoor recreation, and look forward to working with them in the coming years to expand upon our shared programs and vision.”

~ Cathy Webster, Northeast Disabled Athletics Association