Page 86 - Discovery Guide

passed away in 2021, Debbie established Access the Dales as a charitable organisation to continue the work she and Andy had started.
By partnering with landowners, protected landscapes and accommodation providers, Access the Dales has established a number of wheelchair hubs across the Dales which provide a variety of all-terrain wheelchairs for people
with mobility issues to use at popular locations like Malham, Aysgarth Falls and Bolton Abbey.
Debbie is excited by the prospect of extending the wheelchair hubs into the Forest of Bowland, after the Farming in Protected Landscapes team reached out to learn more about her work.
“The Forest of Bowland National Landscape is right next door to the Yorkshire Dales National Park and it’s wonderful to be able to expand our network of wheelchair hubs into this beautiful corner of England,” said Debbie.
“The benefits of spending time outdoors in green spaces are increasingly well understood and it’s extremely rewarding to be able to increase awareness that these benefits are accessible to people with disabilities thanks to recent advances in ATW capabilities.
“From the very outset, we wanted to focus on access rather than disability and by working with our partners to locate a wide range of ATWs at popular outdoor destinations, we’re doing exactly what it says on the tin: delivering access.
“We find that providing really detailed information on the kind of vehicles available, the terrain and the trails together with the facilities onsite, gives people with mobility issues the confidence to visit our hubs – and to return again and again.
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