Michigan state parks system leads the nation in accessible recreation - BridgeDetroit
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Michigan now has more options for mobility-impaired people to access beaches and trails than any other state, after a yearslong effort to make parks more accessible.

Here’s some good news, always in short supply…

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources this month announced it now has more track chairs — rugged mobility devices that have tracks like a snowmobile instead of wheels — than any other state parks system in the nation.

Track chair on the Ludington State Park beach -- Courtesy photo from Friends of Ludington State Park

“You hate to think that making parks accessible is a luxury, because it shouldn’t be,” said Michelle O’Kelly, the DNR staffer in charge of expanding the track chair program. “So we’re working towards that.”

Michigan’s 25 publicly-accessible chairs narrowly beats out Wisconsin’s 24 and Georgia’s 23, said Adam Henning, a representative for Action Manufacturing, the nation’s largest track chair company.

Check out the article’s links to other State-provided accessibility amenities, such as the aforementioned track chairs, beachfront walkways and even hunting blinds! Who knew? 👍 ✋