This week I am pleased to introduce guest blogger, Marcy Marchello, an Accessible Recreation Coordinator for the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Universal Access Program. This wonderful program serves people with disabilities and their families, friends and caregivers interested in accessing our state parks.
Marcy finds her role
“How did I end up in such a unique role? Though I do not have a disability, I was introduced to many people with disabilities in my youth and worked as a personal care assistant as an adult. I spent quite a few hours accompanying my father while he visited a institutions and therapeutic settings to design various products, such a custom wheelchair seating, helmets, and swimming aids.
As an avid outdoors person, I have explored many pursuits from birding to skiing, and experienced the personal benefits of exercise, play, nature observation, teamwork, and outdoor exploration. When an opportunity arose to combine these experiences to improve outdoor accessibility for those with disabilities, I went for it!”
Blog offers excellent resources
“Everyone Outdoors is a blog I designed to be a “go-to” resource for people with disabilities, their friends and family. It was written in conjunction with a grant project, REC Connect, seeking to assist people with disabilities in their exploration of recreation and skills progression.
Here you’ll find accessible places to visit and things to do, from a quiet nature walk to adventurous excursions such as sailing in Boston Harbor or hiking in a state park. Personal stories, program opportunities, equipment reviews and more are featured, covering a wide range of disability and recreation experiences.
I hope you’ll visit Everyone Outdoors and find useful information and new opportunities within its pages. Enjoy the blog at https://www.everyoneoutdoors.blogspot.com/.
Feedback and comments are welcome. In addition, if you’d like to submit a blog post about your own experience, feel free to contact me at marcy.marchello@state.ma.us.”