Wheelchairs are a way of life for millions of Americans. Many people work, travel, and even play sports using the seats. A normal wheelchair works best on a flat, paved surface. But in nature, the ground isn’t so smooth. What if someone wants to get outside?
More states are working to solve this problem. People are making wheelchairs that are tough enough for the outdoors. These motorized chairs have wheels like a tank’s. They can power over rocks and tree roots and even splash through streams!
Georgia is one state that is getting these chairs for its parks. The project is called Georgia. People with can use the wheelchairs for free at more than 10 places. Wheelchair users can visit Smithgall Woods State Park and find out why Panola Mountain State Park rocks. Or they can check out Cloudland Canyon State Park, which has cliffs, caves, and waterfalls!
The Aimee Copeland Foundation made this program. It worked with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Melanie Dunn is a leader at the foundation. She told News-O-Matic that All-Terrain Georgia aims to get people back outside. “They can use the chairs to hike. They can use them to hunt. They can use them to fish,” Dunn listed. “They can use them to have a picnic.”
Georgia’s program uses the Action Trackchair. A user can control the chair’s movements with a joystick. The chair has a harness and padding to make bumpy rides more comfortable. A person with a disability can take a safety course and rent a chair online. Then, they can pick up their chair at the park.
Georgia isn’t the only state offering all-terrain wheelchairs. Colorado, Michigan, and South Dakota also have Trackchairs. And Minnesota started a program too.
Dunn explained why programs like these are important. “A lot of people in wheelchairs never leave their homes,” she said. “I spoke with a gentleman who hasn’t left his house in two years. He is so excited.” That’s what makes this program special — “when somebody gets that chance to experience things that people .”
The program is already making a difference. “A lot of users have said that it is like they’ve got their life back,” Dunn shared. “It’s very freeing.”
Dunn is an and felt this freedom. “When I got in the chair and hit that button to go fast, it was like I was running again,” Dunn said. “It was an amazing feeling.”
Updated January 16, 2023, 5:02 P.M. (ET)
By Lucy Albright
