Now Everyone Can Enjoy Tennessee’s Scenic State Parks!

Beyond enjoying the fresh air, and some uplifting views, spending time in nature and the outdoors can be very restricted for people who need to get around in wheelchairs, as exploring is so often off-limits for them. That’s why the decision by 22 state parks in Tennessee to provide wheelchair-using visitors with the free loan of costly all-terrain wheelchairs, and to continue growing the numbers of these available to both adults and kids is so liberating, as Scripps News reports. 

More about all-terrain wheelchairs
As Living Spinal, a mobility aids company, covers in its Q&A, an all-terrain wheelchair is a specialized wheelchair designed to support a broad range of outdoor activities and rough terrains. Its built-in features enable users to navigate uneven surfaces, trails, gravel, grass, and other off-road environments.

These wheelchairs typically have chunky textured  tires to offer enhanced traction, stability and manoeuvrability, and sturdier frames and suspension systems to absorb vibrations. They often come with reinforced components such as stronger breaks to handle off-road use.

All-terrain wheelchairs give people with mobility impairments the chance to participate in outdoor adventure and activities, granting them an enhanced quality of life. They help promote mental and physical well-being, giving users a feeling of greater independence, and the ability to connect with nature in a more meaningful way.

Tennessee’s inclusivity goals
As the portal of the Tennessee State Parks Conservancy, the parks’ fundraising arm  emphasizes, its impact aims are to enhance park experiences through funding for diverse resources and projects, while conserving natural spaces for all to enjoy. 

In a section entitled “Supporting Park Experiences Without Physical Limitations,” it outlines how the 2023  State of the State Address from Governor Bill Lee, in which he shared the goal of achieving the “most accessible park system in the [US] nation,” has energized them to meet the challenge head on. 

They are doing this with a focus on services such as accessible kayak launchers, colorblind viewfinders, trail accessibility assessments, dedicated parking for the disabled, and redesigned kiosks, as well as the all-terrain wheelchairs.

Visitor endorsements are heartwarming
A mother and son duo who share a deep connection with nature, and are longtime fans of Tennessee State Parks, Will and Candie Ferrell, discuss their love for the outdoors with the Tennessee State Parks Conservancy blog. While like any other family with a passion for the outdoors, enjoying that attachment is made more challenging as Will was born with severe quadriplegia cerebral palsy, and uses a wheelchair.

The family were guests at a Radnor Lake State Park event a year ago, to unveil a fleet of all-terrain wheelchairs. Testing one of them, Will shared his thrill at the empowering agency it gave him, enabling him to experience the lake in new ways, for instance by wandering down a hiking trail on his own.

Mom Candie is also enthusiastic about the loving community support given to her son: “You know that feeling you get at Disney World when people are excited to see you and treat you like a VIP? That was the feeling at Radnor. Will was going straight to the front, meeting all kinds of people and getting their cards. They even helped transfer him into the chair so he could experience life in a whole different way, “ Candie shared.

“One of the beautiful things about the trail-ready wheelchairs is that they allow users the opportunity to operate them independently,” Steve Ward, Radnor Lake State Park Manager, explains.

Another delighted wheelchair user, Mary Lu Shipstad, shares her experience with Scripps News: “ I thought that with a spinal cord injury, I would never be able to enjoy a nature trail again, and these chairs have just opened up that world again for me.” 

In the talkbacks to a recent Tennessee State Parks Facebook post, the response of wheelchair user Courtney Kane Malone, is heartwarming too: “I didn’t know that I could love Tennessee State Parks even more, but here we are. Hooray for inclusion and accessibility!”