Accessibility Review: Walsingham Park

Accessibility Grade: A

I've been a power wheelchair user since the age of three, so you can say that I've become pretty good at sniffing out things like accessibility. Whether you're looking for a great place to hang out this summer, or you're searching for a spot to hang out once the weather eventually cools off, this park has a lot to offer. Walsingham Park offers a number of amenities. Paired with the overall accessibility of the place, this park stands is great for the entire family.

Visible in the picture above, which showcases the park entrance, extra-wide paths wind their way through the 354 acres that make up Walsingham Park. Since these walkways are also smooth, they are ideal for wheelchair users, hand cyclists, and people who use different kinds of mobility devices. While there's plenty of room for three wheelchairs users to stroll side-by-side, cyclists zoom through these paths at high speeds. If you're visually impaired, it would be a good idea to stick to the right side of the sidewalk. In the instance where you may take up both side of the sidewalk, be ready to move out of the way for cyclists.

As you make your way through the park, you'll pass a number of parking lots. In case of an emergency, make sure to pick a space that will have the shortest travel distance for you. That way, if anything may happen to your mobility device(s), you won't be too far from your vehicle. Bathrooms are stationed by these lots, all of which should be fashioned with accessible stalls. In this image, Kyle's blue Toyota Sienna is parked in an accessible space. Its rear passenger door is opened, and the lift is deployed. In the background is one of the park's public restrooms. It is brownish in color, covered in stones that range in color from tan to grey.

We ended up parking close to a few of the pavilions that are located within the park. These individually-covered spaces contain a number of picnic tables and are a great place to get out of the Florida sun. On nice days, these areas make great venues for hosting get-togethers like birthday parties and family reunions. The path is plenty wide for a wheelchair user to navigate, and might be able to accommodate two wheelchairs side-by-side. It leads through a patch of grass, in between a few trees, and ends at a pavilion. It's decorated in the same style as the bathroom, with stones that range from tan to grey, and houses two rows of picnic tables.

If you're searching for a place to spend time with your pup, you may want to try out the dog park, which is located within Walsingham Park. It features a fence that stands about five feet tall. In front of it is a water fountain that has sculptures of two dogs, one which is sitting down, while the other is lying down. There is a brown sign behind it which lists the dog park's rules.

The playground is close to the dog park. In this picture, you can see that the path ends at the playground's entrance, which may pose a problem for some manual wheelchair users. There were a number of leaves on the ground, which made it difficult to determine whether there were pockets of soft sand. Since soft sand causes manual and power wheelchairs to get stuck, they can be hazardous and dangerous for wheelchair users. This area of the park was the only area that appeared to have some accessibility issues, though we didn't test this out completely. 

What's nice about this park is that it's paths take visitors through wooded areas, like the one in this picture, which are usually inaccessible for wheelchair users and people who use mobility equipment. In areas where trees grow over these wide sidewalks, they offer a bit of shade from the sun. It's a great way to be in nature, without the added worry that your wheelchair will get stuck. In this picture, it's clear that Kyle has plenty of room to comfortable and safely drive his wheelchair along this paved path. To his left are a few ferns and some grass, where there are trees to his right and in front of him.

There are a few areas of the trail that'll take you alongside Walsingham Lake. At 100 acres, there are a wide variety of aquatic plants and animals that call this park home. There are even a few gazebos and docks that are a great place to relax and watch the wildlife. In this picture, Kyle is on a concrete path, patrtially covered by the shade of a large tree. To his right, a tiny gazebo stands at the edge of the lake. A man is reading there.

Aside from the playground area, Walsingham Park is very accessible. Though there aren't a ton of flashy features, the scenery is beautiful and offers a decent amount of shade. Depending on the season, I imagine that Walsingham Lake is a great destination for bird watchers, and other wildlife enthusiasts. In this final picture, Kyle is shown looking out over Walsingham Lake. To his right is a dense forest, while the lake is to his left. There are some beautiful reeds that dot the shoreline, which have tiny purple flowers at their tops.

For more information on Walsingham Park, click here!

Author & Producer:

Kyle Romano

Photographer:

Luis Rodriguez

Accessibility Review: Heritage Village

Accessibility Grade: C-

Within the Florida Botanical Gardens is a section called "Heritage Village." True to form, rolling into this park is like taking a time machine back to historical Florida. However, regarding the park's accessibility and though the presentation is authentic and educational, there were times when it felt too faithful to the inaccessibility of yesteryear. Shall we take a roll down memory lane? 

*NOTE*

This review merely reflects the time that we spent at the park. In the future, its accessibility may improve, which would then change its Accessibility Score. In the header image, Anthony, Sydney, and Kyle have parked their wheelchairs along an asphalt-colored path. Behind them is an old house, elevated above the ground with concrete blocks.

As usual, we begin in the parking lot. Heritage Park is connected to the Florida Botanical Gardens; however, since the park is so large, it takes a long time to do so. Therefore, it would typically make sense to park in the lot specifically created for Heritage Park... right? This makes sense in most cases but, as you can see in the picture above, the accessible parking is extremely limited and largely inaccessible for wheelchair users. Since my van is a side-entry, I need extra the extra space that accessible parking spots offer. Because neither of these spaces including an unloading zone, or even enough room, I had to park at the end of the lot and unload on the grass. As such, somebody still ended up parking next to me. It's a good thing that somebody was with me, or I wouldn't have been able to get back into my van.

After navigating the bumpy parking lot, we went through the gift shop to get into the park. Here, there was a store that showcased some historical artifacts and also offered some items for sale. This picture shows the entrance to the park. A brick path extends to the parking lot, which will give wheelchair users a slight bump. For those with visual impairment, be mindful of this to avoid tripping. Directly to the left and right of this path, wide enough for two wheelchair users to fit side-by-side, is an ankle-high brick wall. There are is a blue sign for Heritage Village, and one pointing forward with the words "Gift Shop" written on it. To the left are five, plastic flowers that stand about four feet tall, and are different colors. The entrance to this gift shop is seen ahead, which has a push button for an automatic door.

Once you go through a lobby area, you'll find the gift shop. In it are a variety of items that are reminiscent of old-timey Florida. In the first image, there is a sign hanging from the ceiling that reads, "Pinellas Passport: Your Ticket Through Time." To the left, there is some old machinery. To the right, there is a large alligator head that visitors can pass through. In between are a variety of historical artifacts that are on display. The second image shows a different section of the shop. Here, there are a number of items that are for sale, including local honey, books on Florida history, kitchenware, and more. Because tables and other items are spread through out the store, it's fairly accessible for people who use wheelchairs and other mobility aids. The area is mostly clear of other items or debris, which also makes it easier to navigate for people who are blind and low-vision.

When you get into the park, you'll notice a number of paths that appear to be asphalt, which are actually hollow and made out of rubber. In certain places, they feel a bit bouncy to drive over. These paths led to a lot of the houses and other buildings on the property, but there were a few that could only be accessed by driving on the grass. In this picture, Kyle is driving his power wheelchair on a path, leading alongside a brown building. To the right is an area of patchy grass, with some trees.

Since there are so many large trees in the park, there are also a lot of roots that partially stick out of the ground. In a number of areas, these roots have crept underneath some of the paths. The result is an extremely bumpy surface, where the roots have pressed up against the rubber. These areas can actually be really dangerous for wheelchair users. Actually, one of my friends, who is also a power wheelchair user, got stuck on a bump on the path. It's a good thing that Luis was with us, since he was able to get her chair free. Without his help, who knows what would've happened! This image shows a picture of Kyle's front caster, poised in front of a bump in the rubber path. A crack is visible, where the rubber looks as if it is splitting apart.

The buildings in Heritage Village are obviously old. True to form, some of these buildings are inaccessible to wheelchair users. Though this isn't a huge deal, it does feel a bit unfair that these areas can still be accessed by people who can walk up stairs. Here is a log cabin, which has a flight of stairs leading up to its porch, where a man sits in a rocking chair.

Here is Kyle, looking over his right shoulder toward a green house. There are two, separate flights of stairs, one leading to the right, towards a door and a small porch. The one on the left leads to an extremely narrow, white screen door.

This image shows Kyle in front of a white house. He's facing away from the camera, but is turning his head towards it. He is in front of a set of steps, which he can't climb in his power wheelchair. There is a rocking chair on the house's porch.

There are a few restrooms in the park. As shown in this picture, entering the bathroom may be difficult for some wheelchair users. After opening the first door, there is another door immediately to the right. Since it must be pulled, this may add another level of difficulty. The good news is that, once you're inside, there is an accessible stall that should accommodate wheelchair users. The restroom is located in a building made of dark, fading wood.

Further into the park, you'll come across an old grocery store. Painted in greyish blue with yellow trim, this building is accessible for wheelchair users. If you want to explore inside this building, you may need some assistance opening the door. Once inside, there is a decent amount of room, making it pretty easy to get around.

Here is a two-story house, which is white with navy trim. A rubber path wraps around it, to give you a glimpse of the entire building. There is a picnic table in the distance, under a section of trees. There's a stretch of ground that is worn, but traversable for power wheelchair users. It may be difficult for manual chair users. It can be taken to see a few more houses.

Taking a bumpy, brick path, you'll find the McKay Creek Boat Shop. Aside from the path leading to it, the inside of the boat house is very spacious, and has plenty of room to fit a number of wheelchair users. Though it was closed during our time at the park, you'll find a few wooden boats inside, and some other, nautical memorabilia. Also, there is usually a guide, who will tell you some nautical history, and of the methods used to build wooden boats. Kyle is standing in front of a ramp, which leads to the entrance to the McKay Creek Boat Shop. 

Lastly, we came across a schoolhouse. Since there is a ramp leading up to the front door, this space is easy for wheelchair users to access. Once inside, there is plenty of room, and a number of artifacts that teach visitors about old schooling and school houses. The schoolhouse is white and made of wood.

While Heritage Village offers a wealth of information regarding Florida history, it isn't the most accessible park. Aside from a few buildings, most of the park was difficult to get through. At times, it was even dangerous. If you'd like to visit this park, and you either use a wheelchair or a mobility aid, I highly recommend that you go with at least one able-bodied friend. Otherwise, I'd just stick to the Florida Botanical Gardens.

For more information on Heritage Village, click here.

Author & Producer:

Kyle Romano

Photographer:

Luis Rodriguez

Accessibility Review: Safety Harbor Waterfront Park

Accessibility Grade: A
If you're a native Floridian, you know that summer time is beach season. But when you're a wheelchair user, you also know that sand is the arch nemesis of both manual and power wheelchairs. So how can you get that taste of Florida summer, in a way that won't ruin your wheelchair's bearings and/or motors? One work around is to find an accessible, public park, much like the Safety Harbor Waterfront Park.

While there are a few entrances, all of the sidewalks are at least wide enough to accommodate a power wheelchair user. Many of the pathways are extra wide and smooth, like the one shown in the picture above. There is a sign to the left of the sidewalk, which is prominently displayed and reads "Welcome to Waterfront Park." The letters are in white and yellow, with a black background, making them easier to see for people with low vision. From time to time, there are metal posts that crop up, which have lights located at the top. If you are blind or have low vision, try to be careful in this area. It may be a good idea to walk more towards the middle of the sidewalk. Wheelchair users may want to do the same, since there isn't enough room for most of us to fit on the outer side of these posts. That is, unless we do a bit off-roading, which isn't a great idea.

Continuing along this path, you'll come to a boardwalk. This area is great for wheelchair users, as well as people with varying kinds of mobility disabilities, because it offers a unique opportunity. In addition to a scenic view of the ocean, the boardwalk also winds around and through the mangroves. In this picture, the boardwalk moves forward and wraps around the mangroves, which are to the right. There are wooden handrails and guards that extend its entire length. On the left is the ocean, plus a sign that describes some aquatic wildlife that can be found in the area.

Driving over the boardwalk in my power wheelchair, I noticed that the surface was much smoother than I expected. That was great for me, because it meant that my wheelchair wasn't jostling around, which also meant that the water from my travel cup didn't spill all over me. While I'm joking, but only slightly, this feature is very important for individuals who have less trunk or neck control. When enjoying the summer weather, the last thing that any wheelchair user wants to experience is an unnecessarily bumpy ride. This image shows a section of boardwalk, which cuts between two mangrove growths. In the distance, the ocean is viewable. The path leads to the left and the right, both of which are obscured by the mangroves.

After exiting the boardwalk and continuing down a wide sidewalk, you'll make your way towards the Safety Harbor Marina and Pier. Along the way, there are large sections of grass. In this picture, Sydney is driving her power wheelchair alongside Dawson, who is a cane user. It's clear that there is plenty of room for them both. In fact, there may be enough room for another wheelchair user.

At the end of this path is a large, paved section. It is both covered and has picnic tables. This space has plenty of room for wheelchair users, and is easy to navigate. In this image, the covered seating area is in the distance and to the right. It looks like the top of a tent, and is made of multiple sections of cloth, all of which are yellow. If you continue to the right, you will reach the boat ramp and marina's parking lot, and another small section of park. Beyond this section is the pier, but we'll save that for the final section of this review.

The boat ramp and harbor have a large parking lot, which has about six accessible parking spaces. There is no fee to park here, and is right across from Main Street, which also has a number of shops and restaurants. Since the odds of finding an accessible spot are pretty high, and because this lot is pretty central to everything in the area, parking here is often a good idea. This picture shows a few, accessible parking spots.

The sidewalk continues straight, and ends under a covered area with multiple benches and picnic tables. This image shows Dawson, sitting at a table with her hands folded together. Kyle and Sydney are both at the head of the table, in the power wheelchairs. This area doesn't have a ton of room for larger wheelchairs and, depending on the time of day, may be difficult to find an accessible spot in the shade.

Continue towards Main Street, and you'll pass a circular, shaded area. It has a number of benches, and also boasts a beautiful fountain at the center. There are five streams of water that shoot from the outer part of the fountain, towards its middle. The water falls on a number of rock structures, which contain sculptures of a few different species of semi-aquatic birds, in various poses. It is certainly a beautiful landmark, which could be considered a focal point of the park.

At the back of the marina, you'll find a fishing pier. Since it's a bit old, it doesn't offer the smoothest ride, though I've driven on far worse. To the left of the sidewalk, which leads up to the pier, is a sign. In yellow and white lettering, against a black background, the sign says: Fire Marshal Dick Brock Memorial Pier. There's a trashcan to the right of the pier's entrance.

Sydney and I had enough room to drive our power wheelchairs side-by-side; however, if we did this, there was no room for anybody else to pass. Whenever somebody needed to squeeze by us, we had to get into a single file line. This picture shows just how wide the pier is, as we turn towards each other and carry on a conversation. The end of the pier is visible in the distance.

Along the length of the pier, there are a few cutouts that are marked with signs that read "accessible.". These areas are lower, and make it easier for wheelchair users to take in the view. There isn't a lot of extra room in this area and, while we saw some people fishing from these spots, I'm not exactly sure how comfortable that would be. I'd probably try to fish from the end of the pier. In this image, Sydney is in front of an accessible cutout. She's looking out towards the ocean. There's a blue sign that says "accessible," located under the cutout.

At the end of the pier is a wider area, which has a covering and benches at its center. As a wheelchair user, the benches took up so much room that it felt awkward to get under the shade to escape the harsh sun. Since we visited on a busy day, and even though this space was much wider, it was still kind of difficult for us to get around with our power wheelchairs. 

The Safety Harbor Waterfront Park is spacious, and gives wheelchair users a chance to experience a typically inaccessible part of Florida. Other than the end of the pier, the wide sidewalks and smooth boardwalks are perfect for both tourists and locals. So whether you're looking for a quiet place to explore with the family, or want to do go on a solo adventure, this public park might be what you've been searching for. If you're making this trek during the summer season, make sure to bring plenty of water and stay hydrated.

For more information on the Safety Harbor Waterfront Park, click here.

Author & Producer:

Kyle Romano

Photographer:

Luis Rodriguez

Accessibility Review: St. Pete Pier and Museum of Fine Arts

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Accessibility Grade: A-
Even though this review contains two locations, we decided to include them both in the same post. After recent renovations, the St. Pete Pier reopened in July of 2020. Both it and the surrounding areas are surprisingly accessible, and accommodate a wide range of disabilities. Parking is one of the biggest obstacles, which requires pier goers to access a pay station. Other than that, the park, and even its boardwalks, are pretty easy to access.

The St. Pete Museum of Fine Arts is huge, and offers plenty of room for wheelchair users to navigate the exhibits. Most of the works are eye-level for people who use mobility equipment, and are easy to approach, with little to no barriers. Just be careful not to bump into anything, because these works of art are priceless!

*Note*

Though there was a decent amount of accessible parking, you must pay a fee to park (detailed below). The park itself had wide sidewalks, shaded areas, benches, and even free sunscreen dispensers. There is an area with beach access, which features an accessibility mat for wheelchair users (note that this only reaches about a quarter of the way to the water).

The St. Pete Pier has a number of parking lots, some of which are closer than others. This picture shows two accessible spots, with an unloading zone in between them, a ramp located at the top of the unloading zone, and a ramp leading to the pay station and into the park. If you are a wheelchair user or have a disability that impacts your ability to walk long distances, it would be a good idea to park as close as possible. Click here for the locations of these lots, and for the parking rate. Until writing this review, I wasn't aware that payment can be made with a mobile app called ParkMobile, which you can access by clicking here. Since I needed my friends' help to access the kiosk shown above, paying with ParkMobile would've been much easier for me to access. We were told that there was an accessible shuttle, but didn't have a chance to follow up on it.

After we got out of my van, I was surprised to find a free sunscreen dispenser. Painted a bright blue, this cylinder is pretty easy to see, and is located next to an interactive map. This feature is incredible for people who have either sensitive skin or skin conditions. Since this dispenser is operated with a pedal on the floor, wheelchair users may need assistance to use it.

Making our way to the pier, we passed a large sidewalk that led to and followed the sea wall. There's a sign that reads "ADA RAMP ACCESS," with an arrow pointing towards the right. Taking this path will give you some great views of the water, which will be to your left, immediately after a stretch of bushes and palm trees.

There is a beautiful sculpture that is located next to the path, leading up to the Pier's Visitor Center. Surrounded by stones, it's a light green, and looks like a splash of water that has been frozen in time. In the foreground of the picture is an interactive map, which has the words "St. Pete Pier" repeated along it's side.

At the end of the pier, there's a large building that holds an information center, gift shop, and a few restaurants. Leading up to it is a concrete path, which has a boardwalk that branches off to the side. This path is extremely wide and smooth, and has tall handrails that would prevent sightseers from falling into the water. Though it isn't shown in this shot, there are no guard rails on the right side of this path. Wheelchair users, and other people with mobility-related disabilities, may feel safer to stay close to the side with the elevated hand rail.

In this shot, Kyle is positioned so that he is facing the handrail, mentioned in the previous photo. He is leaning on it with his right arm, looking out into the ocean. Since Kyle sits pretty tall in his wheelchair, this shot is intended to give the viewer some perspective regarding the height of the handrail.

Spa Beach is a small stretch of sand, reaching out into the ocean. What's nice about this particular beach, is that it has an accessible mat, which lets wheelchair users drive onto the beach without getting stuck in the sand. Though this is a nice feature, it only reaches half way down the beach, and doesn't extend to the water. If you want to access the rest of the beach, you may want to reach out to the City of St. Pete and inquire about beach wheelchairs. In this picture, Kyle is driving his power wheelchair on the accessible mat that reaches onto Spa Beach. He looks over his left shoulder, at the camera, and smiles. There are some palm trees in the background, on the right side of the picture. The ocean sprawls out in front of him, and the large building located at the end of the Pier.

After visiting the Pier, we got back in our vehicle and drove down to the St. Pete Museum of Fine Arts, which was only a few minutes away. The museum is large, and features a number of exhibits. Some of them include pieces that will only be on display for a limited time, whereas others are permanent. This picture shows the front of the museum, which is really tall, off-white, and is supported by four, ornate pillars. There are a few banners hanging from the roof. In the center is an advertisement for a current exhibit that is featured of Gio Swaby, called "Fresh Up." To the left and right of the advertisement are two replicas of her work. To the left is another poster that says "Women's Work." A wide flight of stairs, with a handrail toward the left, prominently leads to the entrance. And just in case you're wondering, the cost of admission is currently $20, but there is payment assistance for people who receive food stamps.

While the accessible entrance isn't visible from the front of the building, it is located to the left of the main entrance. We actually asked for assistance to find it, because there we didn't notice any signs that indicated its location. This picture shows the accessible entrance, which is a ramp that curves gently to the right. There is a dark brown sign, with a white wheelchair symbol and an arrow pointing right, that's located on the wall to the left of the ramp.

Inside the museum, the exhibits are usually arranged in large rooms, similar to the one in this picture. Some paintings may be a little tough for kids to see, though adult wheelchair users shouldn't have trouble. There was a single door frame that I couldn't fit my wheelchair through, though there was an alternate entrance that I could enter through, which was located just around the corner. There aren't any barriers in front of many paintings and sculptures, so make sure to be careful around them. If you are a power wheelchair user, it may be a good idea to select a slower speed setting while you're in these areas. In this picture, Kyle is in the corner of a large room with dark brown, arranged in a herringbone pattern, and the walls have a blue and off-white floral patter. There are three paintings, one to Kyle's left, one in front of him, which he's looking at, and one to his right.

For more information on the St. Pete Pier, click here!

For more information on the St. Pete Museum of Fine Arts, click here!

Author & Producer:

Kyle Romano

Photographer:

Luis Rodriguez