Sen. Daughtry introduces bill to increase accessibility at Maine state parks and historic sites

AUGUSTA – On Monday, March 20, Sen. Mattie Daughtry, D-Brunswick, introduced a bill to make Maine state parks and historic sites more accessible for the disability community. LD 988, “Resolve, Directing the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to Conduct an Accessibility Study of All Maine State Parks and Historic Sites and to Develop a Plan to Remove Access Barriers,” was the subject of a public hearing before the Legislature’s Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee.

“Although the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed into law over 30 years ago, it’s important that we continually work to improve access, so Maine people with disabilities can fully enjoy Maine’s state parks and historic sites,” said Sen. Daughtry. “LD 988 would require the Department to conduct an accessibility survey – the last of which was completed in 1996 – and engage meaningfully with the disability community.”

LD 988 would require the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to conduct an accessibility study of every Maine state park and historic site. The study would identify barriers to physical and program accessibility, and develop a remediation plan to prioritize and remove these barriers. The plan would list, categorize and prioritize all the barriers. It also would provide a schedule with dates for removal for each barrier and include a reasonable estimate of the costs of removing the barriers. The department would submit its report to the Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry Committee by Dec. 6, 2023.

“I joined the disability community fast and furious at the age of eighteen by being rendered a quadriplegic instantly as a passenger in a car accident. One you live a life on wheels, most of the world around you becomes an obstacle,” said Jessica Russell, in written testimony in support of the bill. “Give us spaces where anyone at any age and in any condition can have a reprieve from their day to day life.  Think about how you feel after a walk through the woods or the way ocean air just hits different. We all want that and that is why we all live in Maine.”

In 2021, Maine’s 48 state parks and historic sites welcomed more than 3.3 million visitors and generated more than $100 million in revenue for Maine’s economy. The Mills Administration allocated $50 million to support Maine’s state parks and historic sites, including making improvements and upgrades to bath houses, entrance booths, visitors centers, playgrounds and walkways.

The bill faces further action in committee.

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