WELCOME TO BERWYN HEIGHTS PARK
Accessibility Made Easy
The Berwyn Heights Park Mobility Guide is an educational project that provides comprehensive accessibility information and guidance for Berwyn Heights Park in Prince George's County, Maryland. The project aims to ensure that individuals of all abilities can fully enjoy the park's amenities and natural beauty with ease, while also raising awareness about accessibility issues for people with mobility devices. From accessible parking to trail accessibility, we've got you covered. Check out our site to learn more.
OUR MISSION
Making the Outdoors Accessible
We believe that everyone should have access to the great outdoors. That's why we've created a comprehensive Mobility Guide for Berwyn Heights Park, providing you with all the information you need to plan your visit and enjoy the park's amenities and natural beauty with ease. Visit our Instagram to contact us and learn more.
About Us.
Our team of University of Maryland students created a Mobility Guide specifically designed for those who use mobility devices at Berwyn Heights Park. Although we only had minimal background in understanding accessibility, we were passionate about reading and learning from those who use mobility devices. By conducting thorough research and visiting the park ourselves, we were able to incorporate our findings to develop an informative guide tailored to those with mobility needs. We conducted online research to gain an understanding of important information to include in our guide. Further, we interviewed a man who uses a power wheelchair in order to understand his perspective and ask questions directly. Read about the interview here.
It is important to acknowledge that we came into this project with a limited understanding of what accessibility means. Therefore, we surveyed other students in our education program. We chose to survey students who were not involved in this project, in order to approximate our initial perspectives before we began our research.
We are always open to new perspectives. If there is any information you like to share or any critiques you may have, you are welcome to contact us through our Instagram.
Survey Responses
What does accessibility mean to you?
"Accessibility is when there are measures in place to ensure that everyone can enjoy something."
"Accessibility means a truly open environment where everyone can achieve maximum enjoyment, regardless of difference in ability or experience."
"Being able to do something with the less amount of hurdles in the way."
What barriers to accessibility have you experienced or heard about?
"I always hear about issues of ramps and stairs being an issue for accessibility. Another example would be no sign language or closed caption option."
"Cost seems like the biggest barrier, yet there are other factors to consider like space as well as zoning approvals which constrain accessibility pf public spaces."
"I think of building without ramps/elevators, signs with no braille, things that are waaay too expensive."
Where have you gotten information about accessibility?
"I have mainly gotten information about accessibility from my own experience and from word-of-mouth of friends and peers."
"Either word of mouth or from the internet."
"Institutions dissemination of information about accessibility: flyers, emails, media posts."
What would you describe as some characteristics of an accessible park or playground?
"Have paths that connect entry points and the rest of the park with ramps and hand-holding supports, signals/signs that indicate directions, automatic doors into facilities, restrooms that are on ground level."
"Characteristics of an accessible park/playground would be a convenient location, space to be utilized by all interested parties without conflict, and hours that permit all interested parties to use it when they please."
"Use of brail, ramps, swing sets for everyone to use."
What would you describe as some characteristics of an inaccessible park or playground?
"Characteristics of an inaccessible park/playground would be an inconvenient/difficult-to-find location, limited space for use, and limited hours for use."
"Steps to enter, and older equipment with limited options for use and by extension entry for use."
"Long, unstructured paths to facilities, stairs without ramps or elevators, narrow manual doors."
More About Our Survey
We intentionally wrote survey questions that would be up for interpretation by the participants. We were looking to see what their focus would be. Most students focused on mobility, but some did include other types of barriers. Again, we are always open to hearing from different people about their experiences. Therefore, the survey is now open for responses from anyone. If you would like to share your perspective, click the link below to complete the survey.