Salt Lake City – The Utah Office of Tourism, part of the Governor’s Office of Economic Development, wants to establish the state as the foremost accessible recreation destination. As a part of this effort, the office announces the publication of the Accessible Utah One-Sheet Guide. The resource, the 19th in the office’s series of popular “one-sheeters,” is now available at state and local welcome centers, adaptive recreation locations, as well as online.
The guide highlights an array of resources available to the disabled traveler, including: airport and car rental facilities, ADA campsites and trails, national and state parks, as well as local non-profit organizations that specialize in adaptive recreation adventures, including adaptive ski programs. According to the World Health Organization, there are 650 million worldwide people with some form of disability.
“We want travelers of all ability levels to have the best planning information available to them,” said Leigh von der Esch, managing director of the Utah Office of Tourism. “Our national parks are some of the most accessible in the nation, combine that with world-class facilities like the National Ability Center, the state’s wonderful outfitters and non-profit organizations, and you see how interest in adaptive recreation and sports has been building since the 2002 Winter Paralympics.”
Leaders in the field of adaptive recreation see this announcement as part of a greater effort to spotlight the history and scope of Utah’s adaptive recreation facilities and programs.
“Our goal is to establish Utah as a recognized world-class recreation destination,” said Dr. John Librett, executive director of Splore, an organization that has been providing outdoor recreation opportunities for people with disabilities since 1977.
“Partnering with the Utah Office of Tourism, to recognize dozens of tour operators and recreation venues available to serve the global adaptive recreation community, is a major step to achieving this goal.”
For more information about the Accessible Utah One-Sheet Guide, contact the Utah Office of Tourism at Council Hall, 300 N. State Street, Salt Lake City, Utah, 84114, (801) 538-1900 or (800) 200-1160. A PDF version of the guide is available for download at travel.utah.gov.