Pilot program attempts to meet needs; advocate says state should do more
By David Escobar
The state on Wednesday revealed its plan to make Great Camp Santanoni in Newcomb accessible to people with mobility disabilities.
The Department of Environmental Conservation’s Mobility Device Reservation Pilot Program will allow visitors with disabilities to choose one of two electric mobility devices at no cost, the DEC said. The new program came after the DEC failed to identify a vendor with horses able to pull the agency’s existing wheelchair-accessible wagon.
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The DEC will also collect feedback from program users to help improve accessibility at the historic site in the future.
DEC Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar said the pilot program is part of his department’s commitment to improving accessibility and inclusivity on state lands.
But disability advocate and DEC/Adirondack Park Agency Accessibility Advisory Committee member Scott Remington said he has mixed feelings about the new program.
“I feel that they made a step to try and do something but they’re really not doing enough,” he said.
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Remington, of Brant Lake, said the new motorized wheelchair and scooter will make Great Camp Santanoni accessible for some. But, he said that visitors with certain disabilities, like hand mobility issues, could still face challenges navigating the new devices.
“They’re going to have to have somebody help them,” Remington said. “They’re not going to be able to maybe even run the device.”
The new electric mobilty devices are the DEC’s accessible solution to the previous mode of transportation around the 9.5-mile round trip: a horse-drawn wagon that is not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.
While Remington said he is unimpressed by the new plan, Adirondack Council Program Analyst and DEC/APA Accessibility Advisory Committee Member Lisa M. Genier said the program will ultimately allow for increased access to Great Camp Santanoni.
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“These wheelchairs will be especially helpful to those who cannot afford to buy or rent the equipment DEC is offering for free,” Genier said.
The free use of equipment provided by the Mobility Device Reservation Pilot Program will only be available by reservation, and the program will operate on alternating weekends during the summer.
Wheelchair and scooter reservations will be available Friday through Sunday, July 19 through Oct. 13, as well as holiday Mondays Sept. 2 and Oct. 14. Visitors are encouraged to follow the instructions on the Camp Santanoni Historic Area webpage to make a reservation.
Photo at top: The Rig, by Not a Wheelchair, is one of the options available for people with mobility disabilities to use free of charge to access Great Camp Santanoni in Newcomb. Photo from Not a Wheelchair
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This reporting is a collaboration of The Adirondack Explorer and North Country Public Radio, with funding from Report for America.
Hopefully DEC can fix this problem quickly.
Maybe Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar realizes how bad this looks and will push it.
Exactly. Worth; There is the issue.