Track chairs are off-road, electric chairs that can handle trails, snow, sand and even 8 inches of water so users can explore areas traditional wheelchairs might not reach.
Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources has raised more than $400,000 over the last five years to buy the chairs. They’re at 15 locations around the state now and ten more are coming in the next year. Each chair costs about $16,000, is owned and maintained by the department, and is free to use.
DNR Parks and Recreation Fund Developer Michelle O’Kelly says the track chairs help make outdoor recreation accessible to everyone.
“I think it’s just the sense of freedom it gives not only to the person using the chair but to the family and friends that wouldn’t normally be able to experience that as a group, the freedom they have now with it too.”
The track chairs are funded entirely by donations – some by larger foundations, some from groups who want a chair at their local park, and some from individual donations as small as $2.
“I can foresee that the program will continue to expand over the years - so we’re not done! Ideally it would be nice to have a track chair in every park.”
Learn more about donating, or where to find a track chair at Michigan.gov/DNRAccessibility.
