DELAWARE - People with disabilities can better enjoy what our state parks have to offer thanks to the Trackchair. According to DNREC, they have expanded the Action Trackchair®; an all terrain wheelchair program now available at five state parks.
At first only accessible to White Clay Creek park goers in 2024, these decked out chairs can now be used at Cape Henlopen, Lums Pond, Killens Pond and Trap Pond State Park.
Equipped with motorized treads, headlights, a horn and an adaptive seat these chairs can traverse trails all over the parks.
Dawn Worthley, a mother of two with cerebral palsy said, "It was a lot of fun going on the trails, and I felt very independent." Delaware.gov highlighted that Dawn, "has become an advocate to encourage others to use it."
"One of the realities is that not everybody is able to enjoy our parks the same as everybody else,” said DNREC Secretary Greg Patterson. With this acknowledgment, the expanded program is part of an overarching dedication that Delaware State Parks have to increasing accessibility. Aspirations to improve more than 70 accessible amenities in the Division of Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan have already gained traction with some recent additions including mobility mats at beach crossings, signs translated into brail, sensory programing and wheelchair accessible park cabins.
Trackchairs are available to the public at no cost and can be used in three hour increments. Parkgoers can either use the chair themselves or allow for companion controls if preferred.
For more info on the Trackchair, check out this video posted by Delaware State Parks or this DNREC article.