Trackchairs provide trail accessibility at five state parks

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has expanded the Action Trackchair all-terrain wheelchair program to five state parks.

These are the first off-road wheelchairs available for public use in Delaware and allow people with disabilities to enjoy cultural and natural resources in state parks.

With the capability to traverse paved or packed-dirt trails, the first Action Trackchair debuted in Delaware at White Clay Creek State Park in June 2024. The wheelchair is equipped with motorized treads for climbing, headlights and a horn, and the seat can tilt forward or backward when going up or down hills. Action Trackchairs are now available for designated trails at Cape Henlopen, Lums Pond, Killens Pond and Trap Pond state parks.

The Trackchairs can be reserved at no cost in three-hour increments at each park and can be used after viewing a short instructional video. The chair also provides companion controls so that a parent or assistant can operate the device.

“It was a lot of fun going on the trails, and I felt very independent,” said Dawn Worthley, a 60-year-old mother of two who has cerebral palsy. “I was never able to see the trails before. I went in October, and it was very pretty with the different colors, and I could hear the crunching of the leaves.”

Worthley, who also used the all-terrain wheelchair to attend the concert series at White Clay Creek, has become an advocate to encourage others to use it by showing it off to fellow concertgoers and encouraging local caregivers in the community to take advantage of the opportunity for their clients. “A lot of people that we talked to said it was very cool,” she said.

The program was initially funded by Bronco Wild Fund Access Grants and the National Association of State Park Directors. Support from DNREC this year funded the purchase of four more Trackchairs. Each wheelchair costs approximately $20,000.

The expanded program is part of an overall commitment at Delaware State Parks to increase accessibility, with projects planned to add or improve more than 70 accessible amenities in the Division of Parks and Recreation Strategic Plan. Recent additions include mobility mats at beach crossings, interpretive signs with braille and tactile components, sensory programming at the Brandywine Zoo, expanded translated signage and the upcoming cabins at Lums Pond that are wheelchair accessible.