By WNPF’s Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Committee
October represents Disability History and Awareness Month in Washington State schools, a time to increase awareness, respect, and acceptance for people with disabilities, and to bring a greater sense of pride to people with disabilities. At the national level, the National Park Service observes it as Disability Employment Awareness Month (#ParksForAll), offering up resources like Accessibility News for those living with disabilities. Here at Washington’s National Park Fund, we’re honoring this important month by highlighting efforts at Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks to promote access for all visitors.
Accessibility law has been evolving since the mid-1940s when the first legislation supporting employment for individuals with disabilities was passed. Over the decades since, additional laws and standards have been adopted to ensure greater access to public spaces, including national parks, for all.
Finally, in 1990, the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law. This comprehensive piece of civil rights legislation prohibits discrimination and seeks to guarantee that individuals with physical or mental disabilities have the same opportunities as non-disabled people to participate in all aspects of life. Of course, realizing the world envisioned by the ADA is an ongoing process, in 2015 the National Park Service initiated a five-year Accessibility Strategic Plan to “make national parks more accessible and enjoyable for those with disabilities and their families.”
Washington’s three largest national parks have taken this directive to heart to welcome and provide opportunities for all visitors, and are working hard to expand access every year.
At Olympic National Park, for example, visitors who are deaf or hard of hearing can request an ASL (American Sign Language) interpreter for any ranger-led program. Films available in two of the park’s visitor centers have closed-captioning, and assistive listening systems are also available. You can find additional details on resources available, and how to request an interpreter, on the park’s website at nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/deaf-hardofhearing.htm.
Many of Olympic’s facilities are ADA/ABA accessible. Information about accessibility in Olympic’s frontcountry campgrounds, visitor centers, picnic areas, and trails — including trail width, running slope, cross slope, and surface type — is available to visitors planning their trips at nps.gov/olym/planyourvisit/physical-mobility-accessibility.htm.
In June of 2022, Ruby Beach underwent construction for a newly graded and paved parking area and access road, new curbs, sidewalks, crosswalks, and steps, renovated restrooms, and a paved overlook with a great view of the beach. Check out this detailed review from Disabled Hikers on Instagram:
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Disabled Hikers (@disabledhikers)
A post shared by Disabled Hikers (@disabledhikers)
The North Cascades National Park Service Complex has detailed information about accessibility for each of the many park facilities and access points available in their Accessibility Index. Visit the park’s website to find detailed information and visual symbols to indicate what facilities and resources are available at the park’s campgrounds, trails, visitor centers, and more.
Find the Index at nps.gov/noca/planyourvisit/accessibility-index.htm.
As the country’s fifth national park, established in 1899, Mount Rainier and many of its developed areas predate laws requiring fully accessible facilities — but the park is working hard to ensure that all visitors can experience and enjoy the park.
Mount Rainier National Park’s website includes a dedicated webpage with resources for visitors with accommodation requests, including detailed information about trails and facilities, at nps.gov/mora/planyourvisit/accessibility.htm.
Mount Rainier’s park brochure is available in a variety of formats, including MP3 audio description, UniD mobile app (which provides text only or an audio version), and as a printable Braille file. Visitors with accessibility questions or accommodation requests can reach out directly to Emily Campbell at 360-569-6713.
In 2022, WNPF donors funded a project at Mount Rainier called Access for All: Evaluating and Creating Digital Trails Guide. This project, identified by Mount Rainier National Park staff and leadership as a top priority, will fund the purchase and staffing for a High-Efficiency Trail Assessment Process tool (HETAP) that measures distance, grade, substrate, and other information to evaluate trails and facilities for individuals with a wide range of accessibility needs.
The end goal is to create an online guide with photos and detailed descriptions of recreational options throughout the park. The HETAP will also be shared with Olympic and North Cascades National Park staff, to allow those parks to increase accessibility and empower visitors to be able to plan their park adventures with confidence.
View this post on Instagram A post shared by Mount Rainier National Park (@mountrainiernps)
A post shared by Mount Rainier National Park (@mountrainiernps)
Spending time in and around the park soon? Check out Visit Rainier’s Accessible Tourism Guide. This guide lists various accessible lodging options, van rentals, attractions, and more.
Traveling farther afield? Check out the National Park Service Accessibility page, with links to detailed information for each NPS unit, trip ideas, available accommodations, and to its Disability History series, which “brings attention to some of the many disability stories interwoven across more than 400 national parks and National Park Service programs.” You can find it at nps.gov/subjects/accessibility/index.htm.
Also, be sure and download the NPS Mobile App, which, in conjunction with your mobile device’s built-in features, is fully accessible, including alternative text for images and audio descriptions of exhibits along trails, roads, and visitor centers.
And don’t forget to get your National Park Access Pass! This pass, part of the America the Beautiful – National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands Pass Series, is free for US citizens or permanent residents with a permanent disability.
You can get your pass in person at a national park or federal recreation site, or through the mail using an application form. Find additional details on the Access Pass at nps.gov/subjects/accessibility/access-pass.htm.
Our Director of Marketing and Communications, Alex Day, has lived with type 1 diabetes for over 20 years and obtained her Access Pass during the pandemic. Since then, she has been able to experience public lands (including climbing Mount Rainier with diabetes) and the many benefits that spending time outdoors has on her health. Get detailed steps on how to obtain the pass and read Alex’s tips on how to get outdoors with diabetes.
Finally, if you’d like to learn more about outdoor opportunities for people with disabilities and find ways to help promote inclusivity in outdoor recreation, the Disabled Hikers Instagram (@disabledhikers) and website, disabledhikers.com, are great places to start. Founded by Syren Nagakyrie of Forks, Washington, Disabled Hikers is an entirely disabled-led nonprofit organization that celebrates and facilitates disabled peoples’ experiences in the outdoors. Syren’s first book, The Disabled Hiker’s Guide to Western Washington and Oregon, was just published by Falcon Guides in early September and has already sold out its first printing.
Syren also wrote a guest blog for WNPF in April 2020. Her post, “Disabled Hikers – Love Your Self, Love Your Place,” along with WNPF guest blogger Dana Lawson’s story of taking on trails in Olympic National Park with mobility issues from an amputation, are beautifully-written perspectives and well worth a read this Disability History and Awareness Month.
Washington’s National Park Fund is committed to equity and inclusion of all people, a commitment we share with the National Park Service and Washington’s three largest national parks. We strongly believe that by actively funding projects that give access and opportunities to traditionally underrepresented communities — and by building an organization whose donors and partners represent diverse cultures, backgrounds, and life experiences — we become more fruitful stewards and champions of Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks. Learn more about our efforts.
Editor’s Note: This post was originally published on October 4, 2022.