Sean Kane-Holland, Author at Nature: Accessible for All

Check out this blog post from United Cerebral Palsy Organization, Traveling with a Disability: A Guide to Accessibility – United Cerebral Palsy , which dives into the basics for planning your outdoor adventures to maximize your confidence, enjoyment, convince and safety.

It is invigorating, and a pleasure, to be working with partners who are just as passionate and invested in making natural spaces in our beautiful state more accessible for all. The NY/NJ Trail Conference is one such partner we are thrilled to have a relationship with.

Check out the Trail Conference’s Trail Walker – New York-New Jersey Trail Conference summer issue which highlights the importance of this work, what the Conference is accomplishing in way of nature accessibility, and how to get actively involved in their organization and the State initiative Nature Accessible for All.

The New York-New Jersey Trail Conference is a volunteer-powered organization with a long history of improving trail access and conditions on public land. This presentation with Peter Dolan will share ways that the Trail Conference is working to expand accessible trail opportunities, despite its construction capacity being primarily limited to volunteers and hand tools. This includes recent investments in accessible trail advocacy, education, and consideration in trail planning efforts. Foremost among these efforts is a new trail construction guidance document, funded by a stipend from the Access Nature Forum, which incorporates accessibility considerations into even the most rustic wilderness footpath trails.

Posted June 10th, 2024

Who’s ready to hit the beaches? Exciting reports about accessibility are coming from the southernmost reach of our beautiful state!

Cape May County in New Jersey has announced the unveiling of more than a mile stretch of beach now accessible for individuals with mobility concerns.

This is all made possible by the installation of a beach mat. This mat system provides a flat, stabilized surface atop the soft sand, making it easier for assistive mobility devices like wheelchairs, scooters, crutches, canes, or walkers. Accessibility features like these beach mats allow friends and families to have shared experiences in nature and outdoor recreation, which will only create a healthier lifestyle for all in the community.

If you are in Cape May, NJ, check out the Cape May Promenade which leads to Cove Beach, past Convention Hall. Here, you will find the beach entrance with an accessible beach mat! It is truly amazing to see local communities take on this humbling, well-needed, and deserved initiative for inclusion and accessibility. We hope this news spreads and inspires others to follow suit within their public spaces.

CBS Philadelphia Covers Cape May Beach Mat Installation

Similarly, Access Nature supported the New Jersey State Park Service (NJSPS) last summer at the Atsion Lake Recreation Area in Shamong, NJ. After facilitated discussion and resources that Access Nature provided to the NJSPS, the recreation area acquired beach mats that allow visitors with mobility concerns down to the water’s edge. To further enhance accessibility and inclusion, Pinelands Preservation Alliance and the Access Nature initiative donated two beach wheelchairs to the site so individuals who need assistance can borrow the equipment while they visit.

You can learn more about Atsion Lake Recreation Area and check out the ADA-accessible beach mat here!

Learn more about ongoing projects for the “Pinelands is for Everyone” and statewide “Nature: Accessible for All” initiatives by visiting The Pinelands is for Everyone webpage. If you are interested in learning how to apply similar outdoor accessibility projects to spaces near you, please get in touch with me at sean@pinelnadsalliance.org

Hi to all in the Access Nature pack! I have exciting news for inclusive and accessible summer recreation. In 2023, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection (NJ DEP) and Green Acres have focused on numerous projects to advance inclusive and accessible outdoor recreation opportunities.

These improvements include more inclusive playgrounds. In 2018, Governor Murphy signed a bill called “Jake’s Law”. This bill now incentivizes counties, municipalities, and state agencies to build inclusive playgrounds for children and adults with disabilities. The passing of this bill is a progressive leap forward and provides the chance to ensure countless New Jersey children, of every ability, have a place to learn, play, and interact with their peers.

The NJ State Park Service recently installed roughly 20 new playgrounds statewide, many of them in southern New Jersey. One of these sites is the very popular Atsion Recreation Area on Route 206 in Shamong, NJ.

An ADA Accessible Hard Surface Playground At Atsion Recreation Area.

There will be a ribbon cutting at the Atsion Recreation Area on June 22, 2023 to celebrate this state-wide accomplishment. The event will kick off at 11 am. There are two new playgrounds at Atsion, one of which is a “hard surface” inclusive playground. Atsion had other improvements completed to the site’s sidewalks and ramps to improve accessibility to the recreational area and playground. Other inclusive and accessible features at Atsion include two ADA nature and interpretive trails totaling a mile and a half. In addition, Atsion will be adding “beach mats” to improve access for individuals with mobility concerns using assistive mobility devices on the sandy beach to get to the lake’s waterfront.

Beach mat allows easie access for those with mobility concerns.

Atsion will be adding “beach mats” to improve access for individuals with mobility concerns using assistive mobility devices on the sandy beach to get to the lake’s waterfront.
With these improvements, the state is paving the way toward a new and improved sense of inclusion and accessibility to the disabled community. Now, those seeking opportunities for outdoor recreation and shared experiences with friends and family will have the chance to have fun in the sun together.

I am hopeful that those interested in this event will be able to join us as we celebrate these accomplishments and our shared commitment to providing access to nature and public facilities in the Pinelands and New Jersey as a whole.

Beach mats improve accessibility to beaches in Cape May. Credit: Office of Governor Murphy

Who’s ready to hit the beaches? Exciting reports about accessibility are coming from the southernmost reach of our beautiful state!

Cape May County has announced the unveiling of more than a mile stretch of beach now accessible for individuals with mobility concerns.

This is all made possible by the installation of a beach mat. This mat system provides a flat, stabilized surface atop the soft sand, making it easier for assistive mobility devices like wheelchairs, scooters, crutches, canes, or walkers. Accessibility features like these beach mats allow friends and families to have shared experiences in nature and outdoor recreation, which will only create a healthier lifestyle for all in the community.

Check out the Cape May Promenade which leads to Cove Beach, past Convention Hall. Here, you will find the beach entrance with an accessible beach mat! It is truly amazing to see local communities take on this humbling, well-needed, and deserved initiative for inclusion and accessibility. We hope this news spreads and inspires others to follow suit within their public spaces.

Similarly, Access Nature supported the New Jersey State Park Service (NJSPS) last summer at the Atsion Lake Recreation Area in Shamong, NJ. After facilitated discussion and resources that Access Nature provided to the NJSPS, the recreation area acquired beach mats that allow visitors with mobility concerns down to the water’s edge. To further enhance accessibility and inclusion, Pinelands Preservation Alliance and the Access Nature initiative donated two beach wheelchairs to the site so individuals who need assistance can borrow the equipment while they visit.

You can learn more about Atsion Lake Recreation Area and check out the ADA-accessible beach mat here!

Learn more about ongoing projects for the “Pinelands is for Everyone” and statewide “Nature: Accessible for All” initiatives by visiting The Pinelands is for Everyone webpage. If you are interested in learning how to apply similar outdoor accessibility projects to spaces near you, use our contact form to connect with us.