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TALLAHASSEE – The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s (DEP)
Florida State Parks are celebrating Disability Awareness throughout the month of
October. The Division of Recreation and Parks has committed to ensure its
facilities, programs and services are accessible to and usable by all people,
including those with disabilities. Access for All, the Division’s commitment to
providing resource-based recreation to everyone, is the theme for October’s
state park celebration.
“The Division’s goal is to provide equal access to all facilities and
programs within the state park system,” said Florida State Parks Director Mike
Bullock. “Accessibility awareness training for staff members, nature trail
assessments and park facility evaluations are part of the Division’s efforts
toward Access for All.”
On National Disability Mentoring Day, Wednesday, October 17, DEP’s Florida
State Parks are partnering with the Florida Statewide Disability Mentoring Day
Planning Committee which includes The Able Trust, the Florida Agency for Persons
with Disabilities, the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation, the Florida
Commission for Transportation Disadvantaged and Volunteer Florida for a job
shadowing opportunity to mentor individuals with a disability.
“During the month of October, I challenge Floridians to become more aware of
disability in their community: whether by hiring a person with a disability,
getting to know someone with a disability more closely, or simply researching a
particular disability to learn more about it,” said Jane Johnson, Director of
the Agency for Persons with Disabilities. “Your life will be enriched by the
experience.”
National Disability Mentoring Day, sponsored by the American Association of
People with Disabilities (AAPD), began in 1999 to increase the profile of
National Disability Employment Awareness Month, celebrated every October. A
national partnership between the AAPD and the U.S. Department of Labor Office of
Disability Employment Policy, Disability Mentoring Day provides employers with
opportunities to help mentees with disabilities build confidence about their own
employability, share firsthand job experiences, develop lasting relationships
and gain access to a pool of new emerging talent.
Other accessible and inclusive opportunities in state parks include:
Anastasia State Park
Enchanted Forest
Thursday, October 25 and Sunday, October 28, 6:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.
Anastasia State Park and the Friends of Anastasia State Park are hosting the
annual Enchanted Forest, a scare-free walking loop accessible for those with
mobility impairments. The forest is filled with magical fairytale scenes, music
and sparkling lights, great for young children and light hearted adults. This
event is held at the St. Augustine Amphitheater. Admission is $4.00 with
proceeds benefiting the Friends of Anastasia State Park.
Anastasia State Park
Haunted Hayride
Friday, October 26 and Saturday, October 27, 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Anastasia State Park and the Friends of Anastasia State Park are hosting the
annual Haunted Hayride, welcoming persons with disabilities. Those with mobility
impairments can choose to be transported without their mobility device on the
hayride, or with their mobility device via an accessible tram.
Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park
Haunting of Fort Taylor
Sunday, October 28, 4:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m. Monday, October 29 through
Wednesday October 31, 7:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Old gun rooms inside historic Fort
Taylor will be transformed into a haunted maze for the annual event. Scenes will
depict documented hauntings of Key West and Fort Zachary Taylor. Recent upgrades
throughout Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park enable persons with
disabilities to have easier beach access, additional parking and better access
to areas including the butterfly garden sunset viewing and fishing area, nature
trail and picnic areas. Information Kiosk print size has been increased and an
easy to read menu has been made available at the concession. Plant interpretive
signs have also been added to an accessible trail that winds through a native
plant area of the park. Beach wheelchairs and regular wheelchairs are available
to visitors. For more information and to help arrange a visit, call (305)
292-6713.
Hillsborough River State Park
A River Runs Through It
Saturday, October 27, 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
Along with Disability Awareness Month, Hillsborough River State Park will
celebrate Hillsborough River Watershed Awareness Week with nature-based
activities accessible for persons with disabilities. Presentations, workshops,
and educational displays will highlight the Hillsborough River's recreational
opportunities such as canoeing and fishing. Attendees will experience
environmental exhibits, Florida-friendly landscaping, workshops, music and more.
Event participants will have the opportunity to sign a watershed pledge and
commit to behaviors that foster watershed protection and water conservation. For
more information, call (813) 987-6771.
Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park
Fall Gardening Workshop
Wednesday, October 10 and Wednesday, October 17, 9:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
Park Gardening Supervisor Marion Knudsen will lead a workshop on how to use
low-maintenance native plants and xeriscaping to conserve water resources. The
workshop will be held in the Children’s Activity Center, which is accessible for
persons with disabilities. Please make reservations in advance by calling the
park. For more information, call the park office at (352) 628-5343.
Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park
Birding Program
Saturday, October 27, 8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. (Meet at 7:45 a.m.)
Novice and
experienced birders are invited to take a guided bird tour on Pepper Creek
Trail. This leisurely-paced tour is on an accessible paved trail winding through
a hydric hammock along Pepper Creek. This event is free to the public and
participants may bring binoculars and a birding field guide. Other accessible
features within the park include wheelchair accessible trams and paths through
the wildlife park. For more information, call the park office at (352) 628-5343.
Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park
Haunted Tram Rides
Friday, October 27 and Saturday, October 28, 6:00 p.m. – 11:00 p.m.
The park will offer accessible haunted tram rides down Pepper Creek Trail
featuring spooky scenarios, a Haunted House for children, Halloween costume
contests for children, refreshments, souvenirs, clowns, face painting and a
child identification program by the Citrus County Sheriff’s Department. Tram
rides are $5.00 for adults and $3.00 for children. Haunted House admission is
$1.00 per person. For more information, call the park office at (352) 628-5343.
Oleta River State Park
Haunted Halloween Event
Thursday, October 26 and Friday October 27, 7:00 p.m. – 10:00 p.m.
Ride the accessible hayride or walk through the Haunted Forest and meet
ghosts, goblins and other creatures of the night with tricks and treats for
everyone. A suggested minimum donation of $ 3.00 per person will benefit the
park’s Citizen Support Organization, the Oleta River Adventure Association, to
support park programs and future events. For adventurous mountain bikers, there
will be a night ride on our famous mountain bike trails. Riders must provide
their own lights. Kayak tours are available with reservations. For further
information, contact Blue Moon Outdoor Center at (305) 957-3040.
Silver River State Park
Phantoms in the Forest
Saturday, October 27, 7:00 p.m.
Silver River State Park, the Friends of Silver River State Park and the Ocali
Storytelling Guild are hosting an evening of spooky storytelling, presented
verbally and by a sign language interpreter. In addition, the third annual
family-fun event will be held in an area accessible for those with mobility
impairments. Park admission is free for this event with donations accepted.
St. Andrews State Park
Nature’s Gallery Festival
Saturday and Sunday, October 27 and 28, 10:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
St. Andrews State Park and The Friends of St. Andrews State Park are hosting
a fall festival welcoming persons with disabilities. Park admission is free with
donations accepted. Nature’s Gallery is a celebration of the environment and the
arts in the natural setting of the park. Visitors can enjoy living history
exhibits, music, children’s activities, educational displays, an Artist’s Market
and a wide variety of food vendors.
St. Andrews has accessible campsites, beach wheelchairs and one fully
accessible beach use area, located adjacent to the jetties. Popular park
features, such as the Jetties Beach Area and “Kiddie Pool,” offer accessible
parking, bathrooms and covered picnic pavilions. For more information, call
(850) 233-5140 or (850) 233-5117.
The Agency for Persons with Disabilities currently serves about 35,000
Floridians with developmental disabilities of mental retardation, autism,
cerebral palsy, spina bifida, and Prader-Willi syndrome. For more information on
the agency, call 1-866-APD-CARES or visit
www.apd.myflorida.com.
The first two-time Gold Medal winner honoring the nation’s best state park
service, Florida’s state park system is one of the largest in the country with
161 parks spanning 700,000 acres and 100 miles of sandy white beach. From
swimming and diving in Florida’s rivers and springs to birding and fishing or
hiking and riding on natural scenic trails, Florida’s state parks offer
year-round outdoor activities for all ages. Battle reenactments and Native
American festivals celebrate Florida’s unique history, while art shows, museums
and lighthouses offer a window into Florida’s cultural heritage.
For more information about Florida State Parks, visit
www.FloridaStateParks.org. | 
