HARTFORD, Conn. — The Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection made a game-changing announcement on Tuesday.
DEEP will offer Connecticut State Parks and Forest visitors a chance to reserve all-terrain wheelchairs at five state park and forest locations for the remainder of the fall hiking season. The soft launch will provide DEEP with feedback from users, which will influence the deployment of the wheelchairs next spring for the entire 2025 season.
After receiving funding from the Federal American Rescue Plan Act and approval from the administration of Gov. Ned Lamont and the State Legislature, DEEP bought 10 all-terrain wheelchairs. They will be available to visitors with mobility disabilities free of charge.
Each location will have two different models of all-terrain wheelchairs – one tracked chair and one wheeled chair.
The five locations that will have all-terrain wheelchairs available for the soft launch are Dinosaur State Park in Rocky Hill, Gillette Castle State Park in East Haddam, Harkness Memorial State Park in Waterford, Rocky Neck State Park in Niantic and Topsmead State Forest in Litchfield.
DEEP said the all-terrain wheelchairs were created to navigate a wide range of terrain and slopes. They can be operated by the wheelchair user independently or by a caretaker using the optional secondary control.
The availability of the wheelchairs will offer visitors with mobility disabilities the ability to travel trails, open space and other areas within the parks and forests that they previously couldn’t access. DEEP emphasized the importance of expanding equitable and sustainable access to Connecticut’s State Parks and Forests.
DEEP Commissioner Katie Dykes said in a release that this is an exciting step for Connecticut and that the department is thrilled to provide a valuable service to the public.
“These all-terrain wheelchairs will provide people with disabilities or mobility disabilities the opportunity to enjoy the natural beauty and recreational opportunities within our State Parks and Forests, which supports our goal of providing equitable access to the outdoors,” Dykes said.
Dykes thanked the State Parks Division staff and its partner organizations for committing countless hours to support the mission of accessibility for all visitors.
Aging and Disability Services Commissioner Amy Porter said this is a great commitment to ensure recreational spaces can be enjoyed by all.
“We are so pleased that DEEP has introduced all-terrain wheelchairs to several of Connecticut’s beautiful State Parks,” Porter said.
Visitors can learn more about the all-terrain wheelchairs, and how to reserve them, by clicking here.
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Dalton Zbierski is a digital content producer and writer at FOX61 News. He can be reached at dzbierski@FOX61.com.
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