Universal Disability Pass
We are proud to share that Maryland has a
universal disability pass available to those with a documented disability which makes recreation more accessible to everyone- because the outdoors are for everyone
Physical Accessibility
Adaptive Recreation Equipment & Accessible Locations
There are a variety of locations with
adaptive recreation equipment throughout the state. Additionally, there are
locations with a focus on accessibility which include including hunting areas, fishing piers, boat ramps, trails, picnic areas, pavilions, playgrounds and access roads!
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Deep Creek Lions Club’s 51st blind ski program in January & February 2024 hosted 20 visually impaired skiers and their families for a Monday to Wednesday adventure including pizza dinner, equipment and fun on the slopes at WISP resort in western Garrett County, MD. This project included 12 breakfast volunteers, 37 high school volunteers, and 20 adult ski volunteers. Contact
dclions@gmail.com for volunteering and donation information!
Friends of Patapsco Valley State Park holds a variety of programs including accessible paddling, cycling, fishing, playgrounds and hiking (and hunting coming soon!).
Visit
www.pvspforeveryone.org for more information!
Linguistic Accessibility
The Office of Outdoor Recreation has led the initiative to make natural spaces more accessible to non-English speaking communities. Park Rangers throughout the state engage in a Spanish Workshop as part of their training to help them communicate in emergency situations with Spanish-speaking park patrons with the Phrase Translation Guides they are provided. We also collaborate with Chesapeake & Coastal Service in supporting the Es Mi Parque (“It’s My Park”) and Hispanic Heritage Month events to engage Spanish-speaking visitors in the parks.
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The ‘Es Mi Parque’ (‘it’s my park’) initiative started in 2016 as a pilot project to improve customer service and reduce access barriers for the Hispanic community. To learn more visit
dnr.maryland.gov/esmiparque
The Outdoor Recreation Specialist provided a Spanish Workshop at Ranger School 2024 to provide them with the skills to work through linguistic and cultural barriers with park staff with a focus on emergency weather and medical situations.
DNR partnered with
Chesapeake Conservancy to hire Bilingual (Spanish) Interpretive Outreach Assistants to work with park staff to reduce cultural and linguistic barriers at state parks by hosting interpretation events and translating for rangers.
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