All are welcome at New York State Parks and Historic Sites, but getting to our facilities isn’t always easy. People who don’t have cars, for example, are often left to navigate transportation barriers that prevent them from accessing outdoor recreation opportunities.
A group of adults and children experience the Maid Of The Mist at Niagara Falls through the Ladders to the Outdoors program.
KeJuan Harmon is actively working to bridge the access gap for kids to discover and experience the wonders of state parks firsthand. In his role as State Parks’ Statewide Ladders to the Outdoors Coordinator, Harmon is giving back to communities in Western and Central New York. As part of the Share Your Story project for our agency’s Centennial, he describes the magic that happens when kids experience the outdoors for the first time.
“One of the most surprising things since I started working with our State Parks is the invisible barrier of Niagara Falls, the amount of kids from within three or four miles of Niagara Falls that have never been.”
New York State Parks is dedicated to making sure that visitors of all abilities can enjoy our parks and historic sites. In 2023, a record 84.1 million visitors came to our properties, so it is more vital than ever to ensure that all who visit have a safe and fun experience!
“Every individual has a different set of abilities, a different set of strengths, and a wealth of experience and wisdom that comes with them.
As in ecological communities, our social communities and lives are enriched by having a diverse array of problem solvers, friends, and loved ones.
We at Rockefeller [State Park] are excited to welcome people who have traditionally been excluded from outdoor spaces, knowing that the more perspectives and voices are on our public land, the closer we are to cultivating sustainable relationships to our natural world and to one another.”
-Devyani Mishra, Conservation Steward at Rockefeller State Park Preserve
A wheelchair user plays the metallophone on The Autism Nature Trail at Letchworth State Park.
New York State Parks and Historic Sites Blog 