Category: Disability Advocate Stories
Hosted in collaboration with University of Michigan Adaptive Sports and Fitness and Ann Arbor Sports Commission May 11 – 13, 2027 in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
With Momentum to Movement as the theme, Move United is looking for sessions and ideas that turn knowledge into action—from organizational excellence and athlete development to education, sport programming, and the continued growth of the Paralympic Movement.
Submit your proposal:
• Presenter Applications: Due October 16, 2026
• Exhibitor Applications: Due March 26, 2026
• Poster Session Applications: Due March 26, 2026
Find out how to apply – 2027 Move United Education Conference
Identifying and highlighting various resources for accessible passive recreation is a very important piece to the work we and our partners focus on for Nature Accessible for All. Recently we uncovered an article about a father who built a hiking cart for his disabled daughter. This is a wonderful resource for keeping families together on the trail.
You can read the full article – GearJunkie
Here is a link for more information about the hiking cart and how to purchase – Huckleberry Hiking | Freedom to Explore
WHEN: September 19, 2026, from 5:30-8:30 P.M.
WHERE: Highlawn Pavilion, West Orange, NJ (Rain or Shine)
Join us for an evening under the stars as we celebrate the people and organizations behind New Jersey’s Nature Accessible for All initiative.
We’re building a movement of people and organizations committed to making parks and natural areas accessible for people with disabilities and mobility challenges. Launched in 2021 by the Pinelands Alliance, this initiative is now a statewide initiative supported by nonprofit organizations throughout the state.
Learn more about Nature Accessible for All during a very special evening at the Highlawn Pavilion and join the movement.
We are excited to announce that Broadway and television Ali Stroker will receive the Nature Accessible for All Inspiring Individual Award at this event. Stroker is unable to attend the event due to a scheduling conflict, but a special video will be shown.
Stroker made history as the first actor in a wheelchair to appear on Broadway in Deaf West’s 2015 revival of Spring Awakening. Stroker won the 2019 Tony Award for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for her role as ‘Ado Annie’ in Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Oklahoma! Her mission to improve the lives of others through the arts, disabled or not, is captured in her motto: “Turning Your Limitations into Your Opportunities.”
The evening will feature music, gourmet hors d’oeuvres, cocktails, entrée stations, fine wine, craft beer, and then a dessert and coffee bar following the awards ceremony. Enjoy lively conversation and inspiration as we work together to make nature more accessible for all people!
Cocktail Attire requested.
The event will be held in a tented venue that is wheelchair accessible. For questions, contact Sean Kane-Holland at sean@pinelandsalliance.org or by phone at (609) 859-8860 ext. 117.
RSVP by September 10th.
Make a Donation
Funds raised from this event benefit Nature Accessible for All, a collaboration of people and organizations determined to improve access to nature for people with disabilities, their families, and caregivers. If you can’t attend please consider making a donation.
Sponsorship Opportunities
Join the movement to make parks and natural areas in New Jersey accessible to people with disabilities and movement challenges. Become a sponsor and celebrate the people and organizations working to improve nature access in New Jersey!
You can download the Sponsorship form here.
Thank You to our Sponsors
Gold Sponsor
Bronze Sponsor
Joan Rechnitz
Food & Beverage
Patricia A. Butenis, Chair of the Pinelands Alliance Board of Trustees – Ret., Ambassador, U.S. Foreign Service
Friends
Partner’s for Health Foundation
Charles Chapin, former Trustee Pinelands Alliance
Thank you to our Nature: Accessible for All partners! The entire list of partners can be found on our website.
Join the Spina Bifida Resource Network for their interactive series by and for adults with disabilities — featuring adults with disabilities as speakers, experts and discussion leaders.
This webinar is apart of their Empowered Conversations Virtual Speaker Series for Adults with Disabilities 21+
Wednesdays at 7:00 pm ET on Zoom
Link to register – Spina Bifida Resource Network – Speaker Series
The Best Day Ever documentary follows adaptive mountain bikers Greg Durso and Allie Bianchi as they tackle the daily challenges of disability—and find joy, connection, and belonging in Vermont’s mountain biking community.
This is a story of grit, independence, and what’s possible when community and creativity come together. At its heart is the world’s first fully adaptive trail network—built to prove that everyone belongs outside.
Best Day Ever challenges perceptions of disability and celebrates community.
They’re raising funds to expand adaptive trails and equipment access—because for a wheelchair user, a mountain bike isn’t just fun. It’s freedom.
Check out the video and full story – https://www.bestdayever.mov/?blm_aid=2582740493
It is with great eagerness and excitement that we can now count the Accessible Nature Trail at Pemberton Lake as a well-awaited accomplishment for the fight to make outdoor spaces more accessible for individuals of varying abilities. On Friday, October 10th we unveiled the Pemberton Lake Accessible nature trail. This 0.7-mile trail encourages visitors of all abilities and especially those with mobility concerns to explore the forest and lake habitats that the out-and-back trail traverses.
Check out the full article from the Pine Barrens Tribune – https://www.pinebarrenstribune.com/articles/featured-stories/newly-blazed-trail-gives-those-with-mobility-issues-access-to-natures-realm-alongside-pemberton-lake/