Approximately 1 in 4 people in the US live with disabilities* and historically, many outdoor spaces haven’t been designed to include them. Over the past few years, SHLT has been focusing on this injustice: it’s one of the main drivers behind projects like our inclusive paddles, the rebuilding of the wheelchair accessible boardwalk at the South Hero Rec Park, and design plans for the Islandacres Trail, our main trail project.

We’ve also been working with an Outdoor Accessibility Advisory Council, made up of people living with disabilities, their caretakers, and disability advocates. With the help of a student intern from UVM’s Disabled Students Union, the Upper Valley Trails Alliance and the Vermont Trails and Greenways Council’s Trail Accessibility Hub, we did an accessibility audit on many of the trails and outdoor spaces in South Hero. The Advisory Council reviewed the results of this audit and identified accessibility improvement projects. Some are straightforward - like adding benches at trailheads - and others are more complex. We are currently working with the University of Vermont’s Office of Accessibility Services to prioritize the list of accessibility projects.

And to do this - we need your help! Please take our 4 question survey to let us know what are the most important accessibility considerations for you when you’re deciding to explore a trail. Click the button below to take the survey. (Need a paper, audio, or Braille version? Email Jenna at jenna@shlt.org )

Islandacres Trail

We’re also designing a new trail - the Islandacres Trail - to include accessibility features from the start.

When completed, this trail will include a ~0.5mile crushed stone wheelchair accessible path from the South Street trailhead to a bird blind and viewing area of the Roy Marsh. The trail will then become a roughly 0.7mile crushed dirt/mowed grass path along the edge of the Roy Marsh and Islandacres Farm’s fields to the Tracy Road trailhead.

Social Stories

Visiting a new place can be intimidating for all of us!

A “Social Story” is a way to help people understand and visualize what an experience will be like in advance. This is particularly helpful for people with autism or anxiety.

Audrey Homan from UVM’s Office of Accessibility Services visited South Hero in October 2025. They created a Social Story for the South Hero Rec Park.

In the future, we hope to create Social Stories for more of our trails. Do you have questions or want a Social Story for one of our trails in particular? Let us know by emailing info@shlt.org !