On Wednesday, June 14, Bolton Valley Resort’s Timberline Lodge played host to the inaugural Vermont Trail Accessibility Hub (TAH) Summit, bringing together more than 50 thought leaders and advocates to advance trail accessibility across Vermont. This collaborative event united representatives from more than 30 organizations and agencies, setting the stage for a transformative future in trail-based outdoor recreation.
Accessibility
UVM Center on Disability and Community Inclusion Podcast Features Accessible Trails
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hLHuPpZa1Q&list=PLMrcNNUeYhjx4KcKaf4mBFwEz2lSCkLSI&index=1
The UVM Center on Disability and Community Inclusion hosts a podcast talking about disability in Vermont. In Episode 29, Audrey Homan interviews Lynn McNamara from the Vermont Chapter of The Nature Conservancy about accessible natural outdoor areas.
Out & About: Groups to study trail accessibility
Valley News
During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Vermont’s trails — like many others throughout the country — saw increased use and interest.
As organizations examined how to make trails more durable for that use, another conversation started to gain momentum: Making trails more accessible to people who have varying degrees of mobility, including those who use wheelchairs.
Northern Forest Canoe Trail (NFCT) Accessible Waterway Access Survey Report
In partnership with the Rivers, Trails, and Conservation Assistance (RTCA) program of the National Parks Service, the NFCT would like to improve access to waterways of the Northern Forest for adaptive paddlers and anyone with a disability or mobility challenge who might be interested in paddling, whether or not they have participated in water sports before.
A survey of adaptive paddlers was created and distributed to collect this information, and the survey received 85 responses from across the paddling community. Read the summary report of the survey results.
Sen. Peter Welch visits the 1st adaptive mountain bike trail network in Vermont
VT Digger
The trail network is expected to make mountain biking more accessible to adaptive riders, and recreation and tourism leaders see a potential economic boost.
This new trail network is the first in Vermont that’s fully accessible to adaptive mountain bikes
Vermont Public
One recent summery evening, as the sun turns gold and the flies grow more persistent, a bunch of people park their cars in a field in Bolton, and pull out their mountain bikes.
