Accessibility

A visitor rides his wheelchair on the accessible Towpath Trail.

©ARRYE ROSSER

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Cuyahoga Valley National Park is here to remove barriers and build enjoyable experiences for everyone.

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If You Have Mobility Needs

• All visitor centers are accessible. Our park map shows exact locations and specific features.
  
• Many of the park's most popular attractions are fully accessible: the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath Trail (including the Beaver Marsh near Ira Trailhead-the exception is a steep incline over Lock 29), the Everett Road Covered Bridge, Brandywine Falls, and the heronry along Bath Road.
  
• Cuyahoga Valley National Park is a partner in Spree for All, a universally accessible hiking series organized by Metro Parks, Serving Summit County.
• Horseshoe Pond has an accessible fishing pier.
  
• Wheelchair access is available on Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.
  
• The reservable picnic shelters and the Ralph Regula Room at Boston Store Visitor Center are accessible rental facilities.
  
• Cuyahoga Valley National Park and its partners offer a series of Canalway Quests, treasure hunts with rhyming clues that tell how a place is special. Each quest includes a description of mobility considerations; several are wheelchair accessible.

 

Audio tour headphones are fully compatible with hearing aids.

©Lynette Sprague-Falk

If You Are Deaf or Hard of Hearing

• Cuyahoga Valley National Park can provide an interpreter for people with hearing needs. A minimum of two weeks is required to obtain an interpreter. To use this service, contact us at 800-433-1986 ext. 5991 or e-mail us.
• Boston Store Visitor Center provides a subtitled video about the national park. New, fully accessible exhibits are planned for Canal Visitor Center, opening in late 2013.
• Rather than calling, e-mail us for park information at e-mail us.
• Assisted listening devices and a captioned version of the Voices of the Valley audio tour are available aboard Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad.

 

Cleveland Sight Center cyclists on tandem bike enjoy a ride on the Towpath Trail.

©Sara Guren

If You Have Visual Needs

• Large-print versions of this bulletin, the park's quarterly Schedule of Events, and the Valley Volunteer newsletter are available upon request by calling 800-433-1986 ext. 5991.
• Winter activities and tandem bike programs are offered in conjunction with the Cleveland Sight Center throughout the year.
• Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad's audio tour, Voices of the Valley, allows you to experience the national park through storytelling.
• Boston Store Visitor Center provides an audio description of its video about the national park. Request a listening device at the front desk.
• Audio stations with four educational messages are available at the Beaver Marsh and Station Road Bridge Trailhead.
• We are piloting the use of tactile elements in various park exhibits. New, fully accessible exhibits are planned for Canal Visitor Center, opening in late 2013.

 

Winter Special Olympics cross-country skiers gather before the race.

NPS/Ted Toth

If You Have a Cognitive Disability

• Ohio Winter Special Olympics are held annually in the national park.
• Cuyahoga Valley Environmental Education Center and Cuyahoga Valley Scenic Railroad can accommodate groups of children or adults with special needs.
• Volunteer opportunities are available for groups of adults and/or teens with cognitive disabilities. For example, the BraVo! group from United Disability Services has assisted with preparing bells for The Polar Express™ train program and with Adopt-a-Trail. To learn more, contact the volunteer office at 330-657-2296 or [e-mail].

 

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If you or your organization have suggestions for programming that makes the national park more accessible to visitors with special needs, call 216-524-1497 ext. 225 or e-mail e-mail us. We would love to partner with a variety of groups concerned with accessibility issues.

Download our Meeting Your Special Needs site bulletin.