NATURE: ACCESSIBLE FOR ALL
Get out and explore nature in New Jersey! On the Nature: Accessible For All website, AccessNatureNJ.org, you can find an accessible park or natural area. We’ve included trails and nature sites that have firm and even surfaces for individuals with mobility concerns, braille trails and audio resources for blind or low-vision visitors, nature sites that offer inclusive programming, sites with adaptive amenities, and equipment to make visitor experiences more enjoyable.
In 2021, the Pinelands Alliance launched the Pinelands Is For Everyone project. The goal of the project was to make recreation in the Pinelands National Reserve more accessible for individuals with disabilities. This work was amplified when The Alliance received a grant from the Department of Human Services (DHS), Division of Disability Services, through the Inclusive Healthy Communities (IHC) program grant. These grants are designed to enable organizations to promote the health and well-being of individuals with disabilities in the communities where they live. The Alliance used the grant funding to make the Pinelands more accessible for all through trail assessments, trail building, hosting forums, and more.
Since this initial funding, the campaign has grown to a statewide initiative, “Nature: Accessible for All” through critical funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to facilitate this campaign. The Alliance has partnered with the New Jersey Division of Disability Services, Department of Human Services (DHS), the Edward J. Bloustein School, and Duke Farms to lead a statewide effort to make natural spaces and nature-based programming inclusive and accessible for individuals of all abilities.
Read the Report
As a key starting point and foundation of the Pinelands Is For Everyone project, we held two virtual “Town Hall” meetings and several focus group conversations to learn about the challenges and solutions to making natural places in and around the Pinelands accessible for the use and enjoyment of people with disabilities. These conversations included individuals with a variety of physical and intellectual/developmental disabilities, caregivers, and professionals who work in the disability healthcare and services fields. Read, or listen, to the report.
The Project
The Pinelands Alliance is teaming up with extraordinary individuals and partner organizations for this initiative. Learn more about this project!
Access Nature Forum
The Access Nature Forum was developed to provide a means for those with disabilities to unite and have a voice and be heard. Learn more and get involved!
Project Partners
The Alliance is the leading environmental constituency-building and advocacy organization for the protection and enjoyment of the New Jersey Pinelands, an ecologically unique region of 1.1 million acres in Southern New Jersey. In addition to support from the State’s Division of Disability Services, we are privileged to be working with a growing circle of terrific partners. Learn more about our partners!
Videos and Town Hall Discussions
See the videos and replays of our town hall discussions that have informed this project. Topics include nature trail evaluations and the work we are doing with some of our partners. You can also take our survey and share feedback about your nature experiences.
This initiative was funded (or funded in part) by an Inclusive Healthy Communities Grant from the Division of Disability Services, New Jersey Department of Human Services.
