Access for all
Public lands offer a wide range of recreation settings and opportunities from highly developed campgrounds to untouched wilderness areas.
The Forest Service is committed to integrating accessibility into the complete range of recreation opportunities while protecting natural resources and settings so that all people, including people who have disabilities, have the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors.
How does accessibility fit into this range of opportunities?
Wilderness, by its very nature, remains largely untouched. National forests and grasslands, too, have broad areas where accessibility is dependent upon the individual.
However, when the decision is made to construct or alter a building, trail, or other facility, we must ask, "Will a person with a disability have an equal opportunity to use this facility?" Since the early 1990s, the Forest Service has followed principles of universal design, which that facilities are designed to be usable by all people, including those with disabilities.
For more detailed information about accessibility, consult these manuals: