In 2017, National Park Service climbing ranger Quinn Brett fell while climbing El Capitan in Yosemite National Park and was left paralyzed from the waist down. Now she is working to make America's public lands easier to reach for people who use wheelchairs and other mobility devices. Her consulting firm and a new Bureau of Land Management accessibility map are at the center of that effort.
From Rock Faces to Curbs
Brett was 36 when the 120-foot fall changed her daily life. She went from climbing steep granite to navigating a wheelchair, and she quickly found that familiar places were no longer open to her. Some parklands, trail systems and even national parks lacked routes she could use. Ordinary barriers, such as a missing curb cut, made it hard to get across the street, let alone onto a trail.
Brett founded Dovetail Trail Consulting to help outdoor spaces become more accessible and usable for everyone. The firm works with land managers on those improvements.
A Map Built From Visitor Photos
With Brett's help, the Bureau of Land Management launched an interactive accessibility map on October 13. It connects visitors with trails, restrooms and campsites that accommodate people with mobility disabilities. Visitors can submit photos of public lands along with descriptions of the infrastructure, so other users can judge conditions before they set out.
The map lists 50 existing accessible recreation sites, including McCoy Flats in Utah, where entries describe packed gravel parking, extended picnic tables and entrances to vault toilets. It also identifies 74 additional sites where the BLM has proposed improvements. Some, such as Colorado's Blue Valley Ranch Trail, are fully funded and in progress. Others, including New Mexico's Glade Run Adaptive Trail, are still seeking funding.
Why Information Must Stay Current
Julia Ray, chief operating officer of the adaptability nonprofit Move United, notes that trail conditions shift with weather and seasons. Keeping accessibility details accurate is therefore an ongoing task, and it remains inconsistent how and where that information is shared. Move United worked with Mount Rainier and Grand Canyon National Parks to assess more than 17 miles of trails and created a free course to help local land managers understand federal accessibility standards.
Brett points out that a trail can be usable for long stretches and then fail at a single narrow bridge or gate. Mobility devices can often handle rocks, roots and steps, but a barrier like that can stop a user entirely. Involving people with disabilities in trail assessments, she says, is the most reliable way to identify what actually blocks access.