If you enjoy visiting landmarks but, like me, have a disability or family member with one, here’s good news: our national landmarks are upgrading their access. A good example is the Golden Gate National Recreational Center in San Francisco, which thousands of people with disabilities visit (or try to) each year. Soon there will be signs in Braille, audio directions, trails and beaches with wheelchair access, and guided tours specifically geared toward disabled visitors. We’ll be able to enjoy touring Alcatraz Island, Muir Woods, Lands End, Marin Headlands, Ocean Beach—most of the 75,000 acres of shore and woods that are part of Golden Gate. We’ll be able to bask in a sunny, salty breeze on the beach, glory in a gorgeous sunset, cringe at where prisoners lived, maybe even hug a tree, if we’re so inclined (I admit that I am so inclined and have frequently engaged in that activity).
If it can happen at America’s largest national urban park, it can happen to all of them, including one near you or on your vacation itinerary. At least, thanks to the settlement of a long, drawn-out lawsuit regarding access, that’s what should happen. Of course, the Park Service has until Sept. 2019 to comply, but some improvements should start showing up soon—in time for this summer, I hope.
Enjoy!