Dirt, mud, sand and grass won’t stop people in wheelchairs from enjoying the trails in Westchester County’s parks, thanks to a pair of motorized all-terrain trackchairs.
The specially equipped Action Trackchair ST models, costing about $20,000 each, were provided by the Westchester Parks Foundation for its “Trails Without Limits” program, which debuted March 29 at Saxon Woods Park in White Plains.
The motorized chairs, equipped with tank-like caterpillar treads and customized for maneuverability and stability, will be available in Saxon Woods in April, Lenoir Preserve in Yonkers in May and Muscoot Farm in Katonah in June. The track chairs will rotate among those three with other parks expected to be added during the summer. The track chairs are available free of charge by advance reservation.
Roman “Rome” Leykin, of Stamford. Connecticut, who lost his legs five years ago in an accident, uses prosthetics to walk but needs to take them off periodically to relieve the pressure.
“But that doesn’t mean that I don’t want to be outside,” said Leykin, who participated in the program’s pilot demonstration, along with Kevin Lange of Pleasantville. “And having these chairs available gives me that freedom, knowing that I can go across … roots, grass, mud, puddles, uphill, downhill, it doesn’t matter. These things are awesome, and it really makes being outside a tremendous, tremendous pleasure.”
Westchester Parks Foundation Chairperson Seth Mandelbaum said the benefits of spending time outdoors should be available to everyone.
“For individuals living with paralysis, the range of immersive outdoor experiences are too often curtailed to the point of being non-existent, regardless of their desire or determination,” he said at the kickoff event. “WPF is trying to change that, making Westchester County parks accessible to all.”
Erin Cordiner, WPF’s director of Philanthropy & Community Engagement, highlighted what the program will mean for people living with paralysis, cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, and other disabilities, as well as their family members and caregivers.
“For some, it may be the first hike they’ve ever had the chance to be included in,” Cordiner stated. “For others, it may be the first time immersed in trails since their diagnosis. But everyone deserves to experience the benefits of nature and enjoy the beauty our park system offers.”
Westchester County’s parks feature ADA-approved ramps and rest facilities, county Parks Commissioner Kathy O’Connor noted.
Westchester Parks Foundation started fundraising for “Trails Without Limits” last year after a successful pilot program at Saxon Woods Park. The WPF also received a grant from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation’s National Paralysis Resource Center.
Visit thewpf.org/TrailsWithoutLimits to sign up for 50-minute time slots, which will initially be available through June from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays.
Contact Erin@TheWPF.org or visit thewpf.org to learn more about the program or contribute to this specific initiative.
