“We’re trying to provide as many opportunities as we can for as many people as we can,” says Government Canyon Natural Area Supervisor Nic Maloukis.
SAN ANTONIO, Texas — It would be an absolute shame to not be able to get to any of the state’s 89 state parks and natural areas.
There are those who can’t, or until recently haven’t, been able to.
“We’re trying to provide as many opportunities as we can for as many people as we can,” says Government Canyon Natural Area Supervisor Nic Maloukis.
What he’s talking about is Texas Parks and Wildlife’s new Eco-Rover and GRIT chairs.
“We’ve had our trax chair, maybe a couple weeks,” Maloukis says. “It was a staff meeting last month, we trained everybody up on it.”
The trax chair is just what it sounds like… a wheelchair on tracks, much like a tank.
The Eco-Rover is battery-operated and can be operated by the rider or with a remote control by an able-bodied person walking beside it. It allows a disabled bodied person an opportunity to explore much of the 40 miles of trails at Government Canyon.
The GRIT chair takes little grit to operate. It also is an off-road chair, but it is manually operated.
“It’s really nice, it gives you the leverage to attack some terrain that you wouldn’t normally be able to, even with the most normal all terrain wheelchair,” says Phil Schweizer.
Schweizer lost the use of his legs to a rare form of spinal cancer. he hasn’t let that stop him though. Schweizer says he and his wife get outdoors as often as they can. This opens an opportunity for him to see parts of Government Canyon, including the dinosaur tracks, he hasn’t been able to see before.
“To go out in like nature, this makes it a little easier…a lot easier!” That’s what Adam Saldana said as he was sitting in the Eco-Rover, getting acquainted with how to operate it.
“I can’t wait, I’m ready for it…to go out and be able to see the dinosaur paw prints and all of that!” Saldana says.
The state has also provided a Tandem Hiking Cart for users up to 4 1/2 feet tall and weighing less than 100 pounds. It allows a parent or guardian to strap on the cart, much like a backpack and provide a stable ride for someone who’s never had the opportunity to explore the area.
They also have another vehicle, very similar to a 4-wheeler, in the works that will provide more outdoor opportunities for those who have been shut out before. You just have to make a reservation to use any of the handicap accessible devices. If you want to check them out, click here.