Metroparks Toledo receives grant to make programs more accessible

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - Programs from Metroparks Toledo will soon be getting a boost to accessibility thanks to a grant from the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.

The nearly $25,000 grant to the Metroparks Toledo Foundation will be used to purchase two pieces of equipment to expand their adaptive program offerings. This equipment includes an Action Trackchair, which will help people with disabilities venture over terrain other than paved pathways, as well as a 32x22 foot pool that will help introduce people to kayaking and paddleboarding as well as provide adaptive programs for people with disabilities.

“Nature belongs to everyone, and one of our main objectives is to make the Metroparks accessible and welcoming to all,” said Dave Zenk, executive director of Metroparks Toledo in a press release. “With this grant, we will be able to expand our existing services to people with disabilities and introduce people to new ways of enjoying the outdoors.”

The Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation was founded by the former Superman actor and his wife following an injury that made Reeve a quadriplegic. The couple were advocates for spinal injury research, accessibility, and quality of life improvements for people with those injuries until their deaths. The Foundation provides numerous grants, including the Direct Effect Quality of Life Grants, of which the Metroparks is a recipient.

See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please include the title when you click here to report it.