Placer Land Trust seeks partnerships to welcome underrepresented communities who have traditionally been excluded from recreating in the outdoors. These partnerships help us create and promote meaningful opportunities for people to connect with land and each other.
But while spending time outdoors is great for mental and physical health, for people living with disabilities or limited mobility, outdoor activities aren’t always accessible.
Recently Placer Land Trust held our first-ever TrailAble Mobility Demo Day, in collaboration with McIlwain Mobility Solutions and United Cerebral Palsy of Sacramento, to give people a chance to get out in nature on their own volition. A variety of mobility devices were made available for participants to try at no charge, and McIlwain’s skilled team helped everyone to get comfortable enough to hit the trails.
The event was attended by 50 people, including folks with mobility limitations, family members/caregivers, healthcare professionals, and outdoor recreation enthusiasts. More than half of them took one or more devices out on the preserve, both on and off trail, and the majority reported afterwards that the experience increased their confidence that outdoor recreation can be accessible. As one young man gleefully exclaimed as he went whizzing by, “I’m going places no man has ever gone before!”
“It is easy to take for granted the lack of barriers a lot of people have to accessing the great outdoors with ease and freedom,” said Placer Land Trust Recreation Manager Christy Claes, one of the event organizers. “We wanted to help remove at least some of the barriers our participants experience when seeking joy, peace and adventure in the great outdoors through this partnership. I saw smiles, mud splashing, fists upraised in triumph. I saw proud families and resilient champions. I left feeling very inspired!”
