National Park Service launches Web site for visitors with disabilities

The National Park Service has launched a Web site for visitors with disabilities and other special needs to help them find accessible trails, programs and activities at national parks.

The Web site at www.nps.gov/pub_aff/access/ is called "National Parks: Accessible to Everyone."

Many individual parks have sections on their Web sites about accessibility, such as Yellowstone National Park which has detailed information at www.nps.gov/yell/planyourvisit/parkwide-access.htm. The new national database is a work in progress, incorporating information as it becomes available.

The site lists places where signed interpreters can be arranged for the hearing-impaired and which visitors centers have captioned movies or services for visually impaired park-goers. There are also detailed descriptions of trails, including the type of surface, for visitors who have mobility handicaps or use wheelchairs.

"We still have a way to go before we can say we are accessible to all, but that is our goal and we will continue to work to achieve that," said Mary A. Bomar, director of the National Park Service.

Accessible sites/programs at national parks in Washington state aren't yet listed on the new Web site.