Why is There No Handicap Access at Fort Amanda?

 

I'm going to "stray" from my usual postings about Fort Amanda to address something that has bothered me for some time. It all began last Fall.

Thousands of people visit the Fort Amanda park each year and its not uncommon to see hundreds show up for special events, i.e., demonstrations encampments, re-enactments, lectures, etc. Last Fall Johnny Appleseed Metropolitan Park District held another of its Lantern Walks. Folks had come out to hear presentations and enjoy the lantern walk back to the monument where reenactors had set up their camp. The good news is people love Fort Amanda. The bad news is not everyone gets to enjoy all it has to offer; the reason, there is no handicap access to the monument area.

The program that evening was designed to be a very special one as it involved re-enactors camp organized by area resident Bob May and friends who played some of the key characters of the Fort Amanda story.

As we were walking back to the monument during the Lantern Walk, I looked back at the shelter house and saw that a number of people weren't coming with us. Turns out they couldn't. Of all the years I spent at the site, I never once gave thought that people with physical handicaps (those who use walkers or motorized scooters) as well as some older folks, some with health issues wouldn't be able to walk back to the monument. To be perfectly honest, I actually felt a pretty sad about it. I'd been so busy researching the history of the site so people would visit it and all the while ignoring folks who might enjoy it most.


What follows is a proposal I think could remedy the situation.

In a nutshell, my proposal includes a driveway back to the grave on the south side of the ravine and a parking lot for 2 vehicles with Sineage stating that the spots are for handicapped individuals only.




What if we could reduce the distance to 400 feet and no steps?


But How? There is an access rood leading back to the area by the grave site within the fenced enclosure. The road is used for maintenance/ mowing etc. of the area.







Access to a parking area like that shown above would be open only during normal park hours. I know, I know....."what if people other than handicapped individuals would park there?" Well, the fines are the same.


Scope of the work. The roadway leading back to the grave enclosure already there. It would need to be improved or better yet blacktopped. The parking area would be a blacktopped area large enough for 2 vehicles. Fine, but where does all the money come from to do this?



Funding During the Bi-Centennial in 1976, I was chairman of several project committees (usually committees of 1) none of which had any money allotted to them so I always had to depend on civic minded businesses for money. For this project, one solution could be the Boy or Girl Scouts of America.

ATTENTION SCOUTMASTERS.......Several projects throughout the park were done by scouts working on their Eagle Award including installation of historical markers, the Murry Grave marker, the flag pole and the monument with the list of some of the men stationed at the fort. A project like this would be the perfect project for a Scout working on that award.

Isn't It About Time? The park has been open for over 100 years and during that time many thousands of people of people visited the monument area, The issue is, there were probably hundreds of people who were prohibited from visiting the monument site because of a physical handicap or other health issues. Isn't it about time we correct that?

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