Access North Carolina

01/24/2025

During a trip to Carolina Beach earlier this month, I walked across the Boardwalk and saw an AccessRec beach access mat extending part of the way across the sand. The organization Ocean Cure maintains it, and they have told me they take the mat apart before hurricanes and other off-season storms come, but it's nice to know that beachgoers with disabilities can get onto the sand during the winter! 🙂🏖🩵

[The image depict the beach access mat looking toward the water, a close-up photo of the light blue mat, and the beach access mat looking toward the Courtyard Marriott Hotel.]

10/30/2024

Wellness Wednesday: Spending time outside and appreciating nature's beauty can be good for everyone's health. Share a fall foliage photo from North Carolina and be sure to describe it for people with vision loss! 😃🍁🍂📷

[Image depicts a tree casting a wide umbrella of bright red leaves in a shopping center in Raleigh under a partly cloudy sky. The red leaves make a striking contrast to the light blue sky.]

10/08/2024

The destruction that Hurricane Helene left in Western North Carolina is unimaginable! Anything we can all do to help the region and its people will help it return to prosperity. Right now is not a good time to go to Western North Carolina as a visitor because of the relief efforts and the damaged and destroyed roads. But donate money to the North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund or to reputable organizations and donate relief supplies to coordinated donation drives. Donate blood, too, if you are able. Foster a displaced animal from an animal shelter if you are able to. And buy local by supporting any small businesses in Western North Carolina that are able to operate right now! 🙏🌀🌬🌧🌊🏞⛰️

[Image depicts a circle featuring a photo of the North Carolina mountains at sunset with a white outline of North Carolina in the middle and wrapped text saying, "Prayers for Western North Carolina NC Strong."]

09/12/2024

If you are interested in reading about accessible recreation for people with disabilities, please check out the Summer 2024 issue of The Binnacle, a publication of, by, and for people with disabilities: http://deesdesktop.com/binnacle/! You can access either a flipping page ebook or a PDF version of this issue. Please share because the more people who know about and read The Binnacle, the better! Many thanks to all of the publication's contributors and supporters! 🙂

We are a lifestyle and resource newsletter where disability is centered and celebrated as diversity.

08/16/2024

Fabulous Friday Post: On Monday evening, I visited Franklinton Park north of Raleigh and was pleasantly surprised to discover an accessible playground with an accessible pathway, rubber mat surfaces, bucket swings, a picnic shelter level with the walkway, and (most !) a Fanklinton Communication Board with icons to point to emojis or images related to play! Enjoy these five images depicting the playground features that I mention here. 🙂🌳

07/25/2024

Today I learned that the Town of Holden Beach along the coast between Wilmington and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina has beach access mats! I am waiting for pictures, but I wanted to go ahead and share this information from the Assistant Town Manager in the Parks and Recreation Department:

We do . . . have mats in place at several of our beach access points and have received very positive feedback from users. I would especially recommend the new access at the pier (441 Ocean Boulevard West) or the site at 114 Ocean Boulevard East because these also have mat bump outs.

I will share pictures when I have them, but I wanted people to know that Holden Beach has these mats. Holden Beach is unable to offer beach wheelchairs to use, but a place called Beach Fun Rentals offers beach wheelchairs for rent.

If you visit Holden Beach and use the beach access mats, please share pictures! Thank you very much! 🙂🏖🌊🌞

07/25/2024

The Ackland Art Museum in Chapel Hill now offers free EnChroma glasses for visitors who are red-green colorblind to use during their visit! See these details below:

Call for Colorblind Volunteers: Launch of EnChroma Glasses
Wednesday, August 21, 1 p.m. Participation by application.

Are you colorblind or do you know someone who is?

The Ackland Art Museum at UNC-Chapel Hill has partnered with EnChroma to help visitors who are colorblind better experience color at our museum. If you’re red-green colorblind, or have a family member, coworker, or friend who is, we are looking for people who are red-green colorblind to come to the Ackland Art Museum on Wednesday, August 21 at 1:00 p.m. to try special EnChroma glasses. These glasses enable colorblind people to see an expanded range of clear, vibrant color. All participants who are chosen to take part in this event will get to keep a pair of EnChroma glasses.

To be considered, please click here to fill out a volunteer background form. For question #3 “Media Opportunity,” add that you’re volunteering to try the glasses at the Ackland Art Museum. The form may take about 10-20 minutes to complete. The survey includes questions about your age, your location, your vision and the type of colorblindness you have, and your experience with colorblindness. Click the link above to view all survey questions.

You must be willing to speak with reporters about your experience with colorblindness and how colors appear to you. You'll then try the EnChroma glasses and describe what you experience. It will require about an hour of your time. EnChroma will contact those selected well in advance to share more information.

🙂😎🎨🖼

07/22/2024

Many thanks to my friend Stacy Marx for sharing this Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation Facebook post today during the ADA's 34th anniversary week:

♿ The Mobi-mat is a new accessible amenity we just added at Ramsey Creek Beach. This feature improves beach access for our visitors who use wheelchairs. This is one of many ways we are fostering a sense of belonging in our community. Happy Park and Recreation Month!

📍Ramsey Creek Beach: 18441 Nantz Rd, Cornelius

🙂🏖👨‍🦼👩‍🦽

[Image depicts a grayish mat going across the sand from a concrete edge toward a lake on a partly cloudy day.]

07/06/2024

The Caravan for Disability Freedom and Justice visited North Carolina in June ahead of the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26th! Here is my selfie with it at the Dix Park Chapel in Raleigh on June 25th! Where will your travels take you this summer?? Please share pictures of the accessible places that you visit or the accessible activities that you do in North Carolina this summer! Wherever you go, drive safely; stay hydrated; and watch out for Bulls, Hornets, Panthers, and Hurricanes! 🙂😉🤳🇺🇲🚙⛰️🏙🌊⚾️🐂🏀🐝🏈🐈‍⬛🏒🌀

06/06/2024

Although the North Carolina Museum of History in downtown Raleigh will close for two years for renovations, I wanted to share photos from my recent visit. Their North Carolina A to Z exhibit had items that visitors may touch such as a red, yellow, and black Astroturf sample on the wall and a relief map of the Great Smoky Mountains under signs saying, "Please touch!" Museums that allow visitors to touch items provide a more accessible experience to visitors with vision loss and visitors who are tactile learners. 🙂🫳❤️💛🖤👨‍🚀⛰️

05/17/2024

I can't post a PDF file on Facebook, but I want to share this information about a sensory-friendly concert that the North Carolina Symphony will host in Raleigh on June 1st:

Sensory-Friendly Concert
Family Fun 4 Everyone
SAT, JUN 1, 2024 | 1PMMEYMANDI CONCERT HALL, RALEIGH
Grant Llewellyn, conductor
Lisa Jolley, narrator
This concert experience is designed to be welcoming to all families—including children and adults with autism or other sensory sensitivities. At this one-hour, fun-filled performance, enjoy classical family favorites with your North Carolina Symphony.

Come early to try out instruments at our Instrument Zoo and meet new friends!

We want you to be comfortable:
Dance, sing, talk, and enjoy the concert
Sit where you want—general admission seating
Learn what to expect in advance—social story available
Low-level lighting during the concert
Wheelchair seating, ASL interpretation, Braille and large-print programs
Designated quiet space available
Flexible refund policy
Concert hall re-entry allowed

ncsymphony.org | 919.733.2750
TICKETS ONLY $10

If you want a copy of the flyer for this event, please e-mail Emma Wall, the Assistant Vice President of Marketing & Sales for the NC Symphony, at [email protected]. Thank you and enjoy the concert if you go! 🙂🎼🎹🎻🎺🎷🥁

04/30/2024

If you are planning a visit to Charlotte, the Queen City has got "a lot" to do, including accessible activities for people with disabilities to enjoy: https://www.charlottesgotalot.com/articles/things-to-do/the-best-of-wheelchair-accessible-charlotte! 🙂

There is no shortage of wheelchair accessible attractions in Charlotte. Here's a list of The Best of Wheelchair Accessible Charlotte.

04/30/2024

During an Arts Access North Carolina History's Workgroup meeting today, someone said this about the ACCESS North Carolina travel guide:

"I have a copy of that. It is very sacred."

🙂📖

{Image depicts Philip wearing a light blue polo shirt holding the 2012 edition of the ACCESS North Carolina travel guidebook.]

03/01/2024

What a great way to kick off Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month! The Holding Inclusive Playground located at 133 Owen Avenue in Wake Forest will open tomorrow: https://www.wral.com/story/wake-forest-opens-inclusive-playground/21302931/?fbclid=IwAR1r-BbM3_Diau1n2LC8RXf1w4LdUBtbop-KD_lhdIyhyycOdp3CQ-JIraU! If you go check it out, I want to see your photos! Thank you very much@ 😃

The Holding Park Inclusive Playground, located at 133 W. Owen Ave., was designed for children of all abilities with wheelchair accessible entrances, rides and slides and a mix of sensory-rich play experiences.

02/29/2024

March is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month, and many school systems and colleges have their spring breaks in March! Where is your favorite accessible place to travel for spring break? 🙂

09/09/2023

Today appears to be a stormy day in Central North Carolina, but when the weather is better, check out this "Braille Trail" in Fayetteville to help people who are blind and visually impaired exercise independently: https://www.wunc.org/news/2023-09-08/walkable-trail-fayetteville-blind-visually-impaired-braille?fbclid=IwAR1xb5JDCTIAW6sbhUvJyNyA2swUauBNpG9xMOe-6RoqP8yAzF8bJ5elzOA! 😃👨‍🦯👩‍🦯🧑‍🦯🌳🌲

Local officials in Fayetteville and nonprofit Vision Resource Center recently opened what officials say is the first of its kind “Braille Trail” in the state.

09/04/2023

Summer is coming to an end. Read about my and my family's travels to Las Vegas, San Francisco, and Seattle in June and the things we saw that were accessible for people with disabilities in an awesome publication called The Binnacle, which was founded by three members of the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities: https://deesdesktop.com/binnacle/! These aren't North Carolina sites, but our state can always learn from what other places are doing to create better access for travelers with disabilities. Enjoy reading this publication and please let me know your thoughts! 🙂🎰⚾️🌁🌲🐟

We are a lifestyle and resource newsletter where disability is centered and celebrated as diversity.

06/25/2023

The April 2023 issue of Our State magazine featured a story about accessible tourism in North Carolina and a "Gaining Access" feature highlighting businesses, organizations, and attractions in the state that are "making the adventures that every North Carolinian should experience more accessible than ever!" Here's a link to the excellent story by Vanessa Infanzon, the mother of an adult child with a developmental disability: https://www.ourstate.com/unlimited-possibilities/! 🙂👨‍🦽

A writer and her family have embraced the challenges of traveling the state with a wheelchair. With some planning, creativity, and kindness from strangers, her son experiences the joys of North…