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Several states provide free all-terrain wheelchairs at national parks

All Terrain Chair Picture 0.jpeg
Posted at 2:10 PM, Nov 15, 2022
and last updated 2022-11-15 15:18:35-05

Several U.S. national parks are helping outdoor enthusiasts who have mobility issues get around with the help of all-terrain power wheelchairs.

In a press release, Georgia's Department of Natural Resources announced they've partnered with The Aimee Copeland Foundation to provide chairs free of charge at 10 state parks, historic sites, and a wildlife center.

“All Terrain Georgia is the pride and joy of [the] Aimee Copeland Foundation,” said Copeland in a statement. “It’s been a long time coming and we’re honored to offer this life-changing program to the community.”

The wheelchairs, which are equipped with tank-like tracks to navigate rough terrain, are already available at national parks in Michigan and Minnesota, CNN reported.

In 2019, Michigan's Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore became the first park to offer a chair, The Washington Post reported.

According to The Post, Colorado began making the chairs available to park visitors in 2017.

Last week in South Dakota, the state's Parks and Wildlife Foundation announced they were adding a second all-terrain chair.

Each chair costs more than $12,000, but local foundations are helping pay for them, CNN reported.