As the longest recreational trail in the world, The Great Trail in Canada has really changed the way Canadians can experience their country’s natural heritage. It officially opened in 2017, after nearly 25 years of planning, to connect 27,000 kilometers of multi-use trails in ways that are safe and accessible to outdoor enthusiasts.
Now, the project’s developer, Trans Canada Trail (TCT), has partnered with the Canadian Paralympic Committee and startup AccessNow to take the trail a step further and ensure that The Great Trail is fully accessible to people with disabilities.
By working with the individual parks and trail groups that make up The Great Trail, the TCT has tried to provide as much information as possible about the route to residents across the entire country. However, until recently, there has been little information provided about accessibility on individual segments of the trail. That’s where AccessNow comes in.
The Canadian company is a social enterprise that enables people to pin areas on a worldwide map that are accessible or that need accessibility improvements. By using the AccessNow app, Canadians will be able to discover barrier-free trail segments as well as alert the organization about routes where barriers still exist so they can be addressed.
The aim of the partnership between TCT and AccessNow is to expand recreational access and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful Canadian outdoors along The Great Trail.
