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Getting outside and wandering on a trail is good for the mind and the body. Now, that option is less limited by mobility, thanks to a first-of-its-kind program in Mecklenburg County. The county has purchased new Action Track Chairs, all-terrain wheelchairs that folks can reserve for free at five park facilities.
- Eastway Regional Recreation Center
- Northern Regional Recreation Center
- Quest at Latta Nature Preserve
- Ray's Splash Planet
- Reedy Creek Nature Center and Preserve
“We have that philosophy of eight-to-eighty,” said Karla Gray, the ADA compliance officer for Mecklenburg Park and Recreation. “So, from 8 months to 80 years old, we want to be able to provide opportunities for folks.”
The county spent nearly $70,000 on five outdoor wheelchairs. Three have tank-like tracks. Two are more bikelike in appearance and are better for greenways and paved surfaces.
Here at Latta Nature Preserve, Mecklenburg Park and Rec’s Megan Keul prepares to roll out on the trail. With her five-point harness secured and seat belt buckled, she’s ready to ride.
“Mecklenburg County is the only municipality in the Southeast region actually offering this amenity to the public,” Keul said.
State parks in many states, including North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Georgia, have started offering all-terrain wheelchairs. But fewer local governments have made the investment.
The five-speed wheelchair tops out at a brisk 3 mph. The joystick controller gives the rider a lot of mobility on the trail. The chair can even whip around in a full 360 on the spot, which Keul demonstrated with a flick of her wrist.
“If you’ve ever played any type of video game that had a joystick on it, this is exactly what it is,” Gray said.
Several members of Disability Rights & Resources have already signed up to use the chairs. Executive Director Samantha Nevins said she likes that they’re free and at more than one location. While there is plenty of room for the program to grow, she said this is a good start.
“It’s like with any assistive device — you’re only as good as the staff or the volunteers who know how to help the person with the disability utilize it to its fullest extent,” Nevins said.
Despite the two tank-like treads on either side of the chair, the chair is surprisingly quiet. That’s because it’s powered by two batteries with a combined eight-hour run time.
“You don’t want something that’s going to impede your ability to be in nature, hear the things around you and scare off all the wildlife,” Gray said.
You can reserve a chair for a three-hour session over the phone, in person or online.
