Tracy Tabaka looks out at the blue horizons of Lake Superior. There, just beyond the Meyers Beach parking area lie the green jewels of the wild Apostle Islands and the famous sea caves. She smiles, thinking of the freedom she will feel with a paddle in her hand, the wind in her face. She has been dreaming of this for years.
But that smile fades as she looks down at the barrier before her – 45 steps tumbling down a 23-foot bank to the kayak launching area below – and then at her wheelchair. “When I pick up a paddle,” Tabaka says, “I am no more disabled than anyone else. The only real difficulty is all those stairs.”
For the one in five Americans, like Tracy, who live with mobility challenges daily, “all those stairs” can spell the difference between the trip of a lifetime and a lifetime of being left behind. You can help change that by supporting our Access for All campaign this Giving Tuesday.
Conceptual Drawing of Meyers Beach Accessible Ramp – click for larger view
Friends of the Apostle Islands is asking your support in the biggest capital campaign in our organization’s history aimed at supporting the ongoing efforts of the National Park Service to remove barriers to the park.
Removing barriers ranges from replacing those 45 steps at the Meyers Beach launching site with an all-accessible ramp, to continuing the boardwalk project on Sand Island, to building an accessible amphitheater. on Sand island and ensuring the latest technology on interpretive signs and our website.
Removing barriers for people of all abilities to explore the Apostle Islands is a core mission of the Friends of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore. We need your help. Give the gift of access this Giving Tuesday, November 29th by supporting the Access for All campaign.
Access for All Testimonial - Annie Hickman “Trips like this kept me from giving up when I learned of my progressive neurological disorder. Paddling the Apostle Islands has been life changing. It shows that I can still do some of the things I love. It is completely restorative even though I am a puddle when I am done.”
Access for All Testimonial - Cheryl Schiltz “My dream has always been to visit the Apostle Islands but one thing has stopped me: accessibility. Because of my disability I struggle with balance and although I can do it, the stairs at Meyer’s Beach would make it quite difficult and scary. I want to take the scary out of my dream and float my cares away in a kayak on Lake Superior because we are all invited to feel her wonder.”
Access for All Testimonial - Patrick Walters “We are all temporarily able-bodied and our need for a strong connection with nature is universal. Access for All fuels a strong connection to nature for everyone. I ask you to please consider what critical role you can provide in this initiative.”
Access for All Testimonial - Jeff Rennicke “National parks belong to all of us. Our Access for All initiative is our commitment to making sure those words go beyond being a slogan and become a promise.”
Access for All Testimonial - Mark Weller “As an artist, I’ve been photographing the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore for more than 37 years. And as I reach my mature years, I’m dependent on the “Access for All” initiative to help insure I’m able to continue pursuing my passion with the expectation that many areas of the park will be accessible while I experience age-related mobility issues.”
Access for All Testimonial - Jon Okerstrom “Paddling the sea caves and exploring the rugged shorelines of our Apostle Islands National Lakeshore nourishes the soul, mind and body. For me, the islands are life-changing and awe-inspiring. With my investment, I want to ensure that more people of all abilities get the chance to feel deeply the breathtaking beauty of this place."
Access for All Testimonial - Paul Blanchard “You see those charities on TV and you never know if your donation goes to what you intended. With Access for All I can see directly what my donation went to and see the difference it made.”
Access for All Testimonial - Eric Larson "In my nearly three decades in adaptive recreation, I've witnessed countless examples of how watersports serve to bring folks of all abilities together. I'm honored to be working. with the Access for All initiative. Together we will make the dream of enhanced access to the islands a reality!"
Access for All Testimonial - John Boyle “From my first trip into the Apostle Islands I was changed, overcome by beauty and serenity. Moreover, I was inspired to protect that precious resource and to help others have similar experiences.”
Access for All Testimonial: Katie Napiwocki "Inclusive recreation allows me to explore enchanted corners of the world which would otherwise remain a locked door to me. Access for All not only beckons me to participate in adventure but welcomes me with open arms and embraces my disability.
Access for All Testimonial - Beth Belmore "I have loved the Apostle Islands since the 1970s. As a volunteer ranger on Stockton Island, I have provided programs in the beautiful, accessible amphitheater funded by Friends and witnessed the use of the accessible campsites there. I deeply appreciate and strongly support the efforts of Friends and the National Park Service to expand access for all people to enjoy these treasured spaces."
Access for All Testimonial - Greg Lais "In the late 1980s I took my first kayak trip to the Apostle Islands and realized what a beautiful and accessible place
it is. Kayaking is something most people with disabilities can participate in. Since then, Wilderness Inquiry has led thousands of paddlers with disabilities on life-changing trips in the islands — including up and down the stairs at Meyers Beach. The chance to increase opportunities for people with mobility impairments to enjoy this special place is why I jumped at the chance to support Access for All."
Access for All Testimonial - Paula Kodesh “When working as a School Nurse, I faced the challenges of making sure that field trips were accessible to all students, including those with disabilities. The islands are a treasure, to be protected but also shared.
I am proud to be a member of the Friends of the Apostle Islands and supporter of The Access for All initiative.”
Access for All Testimonial - Peter Tropman and Virginia Graves “We made an investment and things got done. Friends is a dedicated and competent organization to work with and they continue to grow. It was satisfying to see an investment on our part get a lot of things started and a lot of things done.”
Access for All Testimonial - Maria Tremblay “As a Canadian, I adore Lake Superior in Canada and in United States. I am truly grateful to the many people who safeguard her like Friends of the Apostle Islands! That is why I am supporting their Access for All initiative.”
Access for All Testimonial - Janet and Harvey Sternat “As a Senior Girl Scout, Waterfront Director with 52 years of supporting children and adults with various abilities, I know that accessibility brings about the ability to behold the wonder of the natural world. That is why I support the Access for All initiative working to make the impossible possible and the possible easier for all abilities.”
Access for All Testimonial - Neil Howk “I am excited by recent improvements the Park has made on the Lakeshore Trail and new benches near the natural bridge at the crevasse. Please help Friends further improve accessibility at Meyers Beach by replacing the steps leading to the beach with a ramp.”
Access for All Testimonial - Mark and Erica Peterson “Visiting a national park is vital to our family's well-being now, and as we age, an experience we want to share with all. We know our donation through Friends for Access for All makes this possible and especially back home in our backyard - the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore.”
Access for All Testimonial - Natalie Chin “If you've been to the Apostle Islands, you know it's a special place. I'm grateful for the work of the Access for All initiative to ensure that people with disabilities can more freely experience its magic and beauty for themselves. Please consider supporting this important cause.”
Access for All Testimonial - Michael Friis “Providing inclusive coastal access is a responsibility WCMP takes seriously. The WCMP with partners like Friends is enabling connections to the Great Lakes, which enhance the quality of life for everyone, creating and fostering a stewardship ethic that will preserve them.”
Access for All Testimonial - Sam Cook “The glories of the Apostle Islands National Lakeshore are simply too magnificent to exclude anyone from experiencing them bsed on physical challenges. I'm happy to be working with the Access for All initiative. Join us in eliminating barriers to experiencing this inspiring landscape.”
Access for All Testimonial - Daniel Skenderian “My entire career has been devoted to the care of people who have sustained a catastrophic injury or disability. Mobility is a central issue in their physical, psychological, and spiritual recovery. Time in the outdoors can bring back a sense of normalcy and pleasure in everyday living. Access For All is helping to make that a dream come true in the Apostle Islands.”
Prev
Next
