TULSA, Okla — City leaders broke the ribbon on Chandler Park’s new American with Disabilities Act (ADA) approved trail.
The 0.7 mile long new trail is aiming to provide something new for everyone to enjoy, including a new space for musicians to perform and for people to learn about the history of the area.
WATCH: PROMOTING INCLUSIVITY: New Chandler Park trail accommodates people with disabilities:
PROMOTING INCLUSIVITY: New Chandler Park trail accommodates people with disabilities
Maranda Meldrum is wheelchair-bound, and her family said it’s tough to find places that Maranda can also enjoy due to her disability.
“So many times individuals with disability don’t have the same opportunities because of mobility impairment, and then it makes it difficult for families that have a special needs family member to do things all together,” said Maranda’s mom Mandy. “I mean, it’s challenging. We find a lot of ‘you go ahead, I’ll stay here’. And so it’s important, because I know that she wants to be a part. She’s part of our family, and it’s very important to me for her to get to be included.”
Her brother Josh Meldrum echoed the sentiment.
“We’ll definitely be coming back,” he said. “Not too many times I get to spend with my family.”
Tulsa County Commissioner Lonnie Sims and Tulsa County Parks Director Matt Hancock tell me a lot of thought went into the trail, so people like Maranda and her family can take in everything the park has to offer.
“The width of these trails are not just ADA accessible, they’re actually larger,” said Matt Hancock. “At the same time, we have multiple stops on this trail that really tell the story of Chandler park in the area. And so our interpretive signs, there’s area for wheelchairs and strollers to turn around where we’re not you’re not stepping off.”
“When we had the big Father’s Day storm and things like that, a lot of the limbs and tree trash kind of went to this area, and I don’t think people really understood the beauty and potential that we had here,” said commissioner Sims. “What today is, is really a celebration of really reclaiming this ground for a great, great purpose that’s to serve everybody in this community.”
“Folks are really going to learn about Chandler Park and get to come to Chandler park now because of this,” said Hancock. “We’ve already started getting calls about weddings. We’ve got calls about music events. And so the opportunity to have some of this reoccurring opportunity in West Tulsa is mission critical.”
They said they hope the trail brings in more development to the area, with Commissioner Sims even referring to it as a “mini Red Rocks” amphitheatre.
Overall, the community is excited to enter this new chapter of a more inclusive environment for everyone.
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