NJSOC & Nature Accessible for All

The NJSOC is a proud partner of Nature Accessible for All, (NAFA). NAFA ‘s mission is to make outdoor spaces accessible for differently abled people. The NJSOC serves on the steering Committee of the campaign, and works with individuals and organizations in the disabled community to improve trails, create spaces and make outdoor centers more welcoming and accessible for all people.

One element of the campaign was a stipend program, funded by Robert Wood Johnson Foundation that provided funds to several projects across the state which were used to improve trail access, beach access, create sensory trails or provide equipment. The NJSOC received a stipend from the campaign that has allowed them to resurface our interior campus pathways and entrances, making them more accessible to wheelchairs and people with other mobility challenges. They also created a ramp on the Wapalanne side of the lake, making the loop around Lake Wapalanne accessible by wheelchair for the first time in 90 years.

There is much work yet to be done to fully transform the campus so that NJSOC is true to the mission of making the NJSOC welcoming to all people. With the help of their new Accessibility Ambassador, Amelia Basile and by continuing our participation in NAFA, they are committed to making this happen.