Avalonia Land Conservancy welcomes all people, regardless of disability, to its beautiful properties.
Trails include a wide variety of conditions, ranging from fairly level in slope to steep; from over three feet wide to narrow and twisting; from somewhat compacted to studded with roots and rocks. Individual trails may display numerous of these conditions.
As with anyone else, individuals with disabilities will find some trails too arduous and others more compatible with their movement styles and abilities. At this point, Avalonia does not own a property that offers a high degree of trail accessibility. An effort is underway, however, to examine all properties for accessibility potential and apply for appropriate funding. (The Avalonia Stewardship Principles already permit the use of motorized mobility equipment on preserves in most circumstances. See # 25 in: https://secureservercdn.net/192.169.220.245/e91.315.myftpupload.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/Fee-Land-Management-Principles.pdf )
Almost all Avalonia guided walks are now amplified, and sign language interpretation may be available upon request. Some walks are also augmented with live sonograms, which create visual representations of birdcalls. In addition, a limited number of sign language-interpreted walks (no request required) are conducted every year. See below for Avalonia’s communication access policy.
We invite people with all different disabilities to participate in our efforts to create greater accessibility on our properties, on our website, and in our programs. To that end, we have established liaisons with several disability-related organizations in eastern Connecticut. To find out more about how you may participate in these collaborative efforts, please contact the office at info@avalonialc.org or (860) 884-3500.
Want to learn more about trail accessibility? Two good online resources are:
https://www.fs.usda.gov/sites/default/files/Accessibility-Guide-Book.pdf
https://www.access-board.gov/files/aba/guides/outdoor-guide.pdf
Although these documents are based on federal regulations that technically apply only to federal lands the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) lacks parallel standards – they are increasingly used by states, local governments, and private nonprofits to evaluate properties, create greater accessibility, and meet the ADA’s umbrella standard of equal opportunity.
Communication Access Policy
If you or someone you know, for reason of disability, would like this document or other Avalonia documents in an alternative format (or need a service, such as amplification or sign language interpretation, for a program) please submit your request to info@avalonialc.org or (860) 884-3500. Every effort will be made to fulfill requests within a reasonable time window and within the financial capacity of the organization.