HAMMONTON, N.J. (KYW Newsradio) — People with mobility problems will have the chance to explore a state park in New Jersey like never before, thanks to a grant from Ford Motor Company.
The grant allowed New Jersey’s Department of Environmental Protection to buy a modified wheelchair, equipped with tank-style treads that make it easy to get over rough terrain.
“It can go over bumps, it can go over small rocks, roots in the ground, through snow. It can go through about 6 inches of snow, through sand,” said the DEP’s Rebecca Fitzgerald, “so it really has amazing capabilities to give people access to the outdoors.”
Fitzgerald says they have just one of the chairs for now. Officials are still figuring out the best way to help as many people as possible go for a spin through Wharton State Forest.
“It’s going to give people the opportunity to go maybe to other places that their own devices would not allow them to go.”
She says the DEP is speaking with other states that have operated this program to discuss logistics, in order to determine what works best as far as scheduling and sign ups go.
DEP officials are quick to note that the modified wheelchairs are not the same as all-terrain vehicles, which are banned in all state parks.