Abilities Day: Striking a New Path

“If you want to succeed you should strike out on new paths, rather than travel the worn paths of accepted success.” – John D. Rockefeller.

Join us for a day of live music, activities, and a self-guided hike around Swan Lake in our first annual Abilities Day celebration!

With our well-maintained carriage roads, the Preserve is uniquely suited to welcome individuals of all abilities. We aim to create an inclusive environment where everyone can be grounded in nature and connected to their community.

We’ll have two off-road wheelchairs courtesy of GRIT and Paratrek available for guests to try out as we research options to purchase for borrowing on future visits. AdvenChair is providing video footage and brochures about their device, so there will be a few options to compare.

Hudson Valley Paws for a Cause will be in attendance with a few of their lovable therapy dogs and The Access Nature Project will be there to help plan future outings for local organizations.

We’ll have free t-shirts for the first 75 guests, thanks to Accessibility Accelerator, and plenty of snacks to go around.

In case of bad weather, the event will be postponed to November 26.

Cost: FREE, registration required.

Photos courtesy of Elissa Kobrin and Alexandra Nava-Baltimore

Accessibility Accelerator strives to make the world accessible and inclusive especially for people with disabilities and the elderly via advocacy, education, and inclusion. Accessibility Accelerator collaborates with global organizations to devise and test best practices to assist, support, and involve people with disabilities who constitute one of the largest minority groups in the world.

The Access Nature Project runs safe, comfortable and enjoyable nature programs for people with disabilities and the underserved while educating on the benefits gained. The ANP partners with organizations serving young adults with autism, adults with chronic mental illness and families with limited means. Through education and follow-up, the ANP supports self-sufficiency to organizations for their clients to gain the benefits that exposure to nature provides. All programs are of no cost to partner organizations and participants.

Hudson Valley Paws for a Cause aims to help those in need of emotional support of any kind. They are there to share a story, a smile, or to help a struggling child read or interact socially. They share the unconditional love and solace that our dogs give us everyday with anyone in need.