OTHER OUTDOOR ADVENTURES TO CHECK OUT: Track-Chair accessible trails at Staunton State Park . Sand wheelchairs for loan at Great Sand Dunes National Park . Adaptive and accessible outdoor adventures through Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center . Destinations Breckenridge and Colorado Springs , two of Colorado’s most popular destinations, offer an inviting travel planning tool for families with various needs. Designated spaces on their websites show visiting families the many adaptive and accessible opportunities around each of the towns. OTHER DESTINATIONS WITH DETAILED VISITOR INFORMATION: Rocky Mountain National Park’s Accessibility page outlines everything visiting families need to know about adaptive options, from wheelchair- accessible trails and restrooms to requesting a sign-language interpreter for ranger-led programs. The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado Springs, which was designed to be universally inclusive, highlights its many accessibility features on their website. Rebecca Treon is a Denver-based freelance food and travel writer, author of the forthcoming Colorado Food Trails, and can be found at @RebeccaTreon on Instagram LEFT Families have an option to visit History Colorado Center together during accommodating sensory mornings. ABOVE With a variety of acces- sible features, kids of all abilities play side-by-side at Lubird Light playground.
Live Theater Experiences Can’t wait to catch Hamilton with the whole family? For guests with visual impairments, the Denver Center for the Performing Arts offers audio descriptions plus braille or large print programs. For those who are deaf or hearing impaired, the center provides listening devices, ASL interpreters, and open or personal captioning services. Services are free but some need to be requested in advance or are only available for select shows. MORE PERFORMANCE GROUPS SET UP FOR INCLUSION: Colorado Symphony, Lone Tree Arts Center, and the Arvada Center . Low-Sensory Mornings at Museums Several Denver area museums have opportunities for children of all abilities to visit and interact with exhibits in an accommodating environment. History Colorado hosts free, quarterly low sensory mornings. During these hours, the museum is closed to the public, sound is turned down, and attendance is limited. Reservations are required and guests and their families are welcomed by specially trained staff who can offer exhibit recommendations based on the child’s interests. MORE LOW SENSORY MORNINGS: The Children’s Museum of Denver, Butterfly Pavilion, Denver Art Museum, and WOW! Children’s Museum .
Adaptive Playgrounds Denver metro’s adaptive playgrounds are designed for kids of all abilities to swing, slide, and spin together. In Aurora, LuBird’s Light Playground offers 9,000 square feet of space for children of all ages and abilities to have fun and burn off some energy. The playground features spinners, slides, and accessible swings, wheelchair-friendly trampolines, ramps, a woodchip and sand-free surface, and a smooth play area. There are special colors and sounds incorporated for sensory feedback. Bonus: it’s adjacent to the Stanley Marketplace, which features a kid-centric outpost of the Tattered Cover, multiple restaurants, retail shops, and activities. MORE ADAPTIVE PLAYGROUNDS TO EXPLORE: City Park Playground, Carpenter Park, and Red-tailed Hawk Park . Outdoor Adventures In the White River National Forest not far from Aspen on Independence Pass, the short Braille Trail is an accessible 0.2-mile loop that offers wilderness access for the visually and physically impaired. Started in 1967 by science teacher Bob Lewis, the trail features a guideline and signs in braille and print, and lead along the Roaring Fork River, including bridge crossings. At the same trailhead, the Discovery Trail is a 0.2-mile trail that offers wheelchair access on a heavily wooded trail along the river, with numerous picnic areas.
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