FOR EVERYONE TO ENJOY
It is important that every person who visits a Florida State Park have the most beneficial and enjoyable experience possible. No one should unnecessarily be barred from this.
Over the years many innovative advances have been made that allow people with disabilities unprecedented access to the outdoors. All-terrain power wheelchairs able to handle deep sand or rugged trails. Accessible kayak launches. Roll out matting that transforms sandy beach into a flat stable easily traversed path. And, much more.
The Florida Park Service is most willing to do all it takes to house, maintain, and make available these kinds of accommodations which would have a profound effect on the lives of people with disabilities, their families, and friends. But, often times, parks do not have the funds to make the initial purchases.
The Florida State Parks Foundation is raising funds to improve access for everyone, and we need your help. Click below to make a donation. Be sure to specify “Access For All Campaign” in the drop down box. You can even specify in the comment box exactly which purchase you would like to see it go towards.
ACCESS FOR ALL
A BOAT EVERYONE CAN RIDE
Glass bottom boats, in one form or another, have been operating at Silver Springs since 1924, possibly earlier – it’s a point argued over by historians. What is known for sure though is that none of them have ever been accessible to people using wheelchairs.
“NO ONE LEFT BEHIND”
The legacy boats in operation at Silver Springs were built in the 1960s and 70s before the accessibility and technology standards we enjoy today were in place. These boats are a beautiful, unique design but are not wheelchair accessible and it isn’t feasible to retrofit them. People using mobility devices such as wheelchairs and scooters were excluded from the tours as passengers must be able to step in and out of these boats. The only solution was to build a brand-new boat which was a worthy but costly undertaking.
In 2013, the state assumed operation of the Silver Springs attraction which was very run down. The expense to repair and revitalize park infrastructure combined with coping with hurricane damage done in 2018 (the roof of a just built educational pavilion was seriously damaged) prohibited the Park Service from undertaking the expense of a new accessible boat on its own.
The Florida State Parks Foundation invested along with the Felburn Foundation, the Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Fund, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida, Friends of Silver Springs State Park, and many donations from individuals enabled completion of the boat in 2021. Now, no one will be left behind on the dock due to their mobility level.
