Mecklenburg County has miles of trails, greenways and nature preserves, but for residents with mobility disabilities, many of them were out of reach. Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation’s Freedom to Explore program changed that, earning the 2026 Region of Excellence Improving Quality of Life Award in the large community category.
Technology That Fits the Trail
The challenge was simple: natural-surface trails with varied terrain, slopes and tree roots can’t be made accessible without paving the very thing people come to see. Instead of changing the forest, staff looked for technology that could help individuals move through it. The answer was all-terrain wheelchairs (ATWs).
The program began as a pilot in fall 2024 and became fully operational in 2025 with five chairs across the park system, using two types so users have options. In 2026 the county added five more, four of them a new manual style. The chairs are free, and can be reserved in person, by phone, by email or online. New users get a short orientation from trained staff, and an instructional video is available in advance. About 15 staff members were trained to operate and maintain the equipment and explain the program.
Growing Demand
Usage grew from 69 in 2025 to 94 by July 2026, driven by repeat users and word of mouth among families and disability communities. Based on what staff learned during the pilot, when two people who need chairs want to hike together, staff move a second unit to the site so they can go out side by side.
Access for Everyone
The chairs also support partners. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools uses one at Reedy Creek Nature Preserve so students on nature-based field trips can join their classmates on the trail. A Great Outdoors University instructor uses a county chair while teaching youth and families with limited access to natural spaces.
The stories tell the impact best. One 68-year-old man with Parkinson’s disease, who hadn’t driven in five years, set off to explore the greenway on his own, and his wife said he hadn’t smiled like that in all that time. A 9-year-old student, who once spent field trips doing “alternative activities,” bumped along the trail over tree roots right alongside her classmates.
The program was designed, funded and implemented entirely in-house. Congratulations to Mecklenburg County Park & Recreation. Learn more about the Region of Excellence Awards.
Nominated by Karla Gray, Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation.
