SHAKER HEIGHTS, Ohio — Like many of us, Jane Rapp, 25, hasn’t been able to do much because of the pandemic. Getting outside and breathing fresh air has been her saving grace.
“I really like being with nature. I think it's a very peaceful, calming experience. And with the pandemic, everything's kind of been kind of crazy,” said Rapp.
Except Rapp can’t just go anywhere to take a nice, mid-day stroll as she uses an electric wheelchair to get around.
“I have cerebral palsy. I was born 10 weeks prematurely and suffered a grade-four brain bleed. So as a result, all my motor and balance abilities and my brain don't work properly,” said Rapp.
Because of her cerebral palsy, she’s limited to areas she can explore, but not at the All People’s Trail in Shaker Heights.
“I think all disabled people feel that at some point, but The Nature Center has been very helpful in having me feel included,” said Rapp.
The All People’s Trail at The Nature Center at Shaker Lakes was built in 1983 and renovated in 2019. It’s a .33-mile elevated boardwalk that offers nature access for people of all abilities. It’s a trail that helps all people feel seen and welcomed.
“We were one of the first ones in the U.S to build to ADA standards before ADA standards even came out. So we were way ahead of our time and providing, you know, access for all abilities,” said Kay Carlson,the president and CEO of The Nature Center at Shaker Lakes.
The Nature Center at Shaker Lakes is a nonprofit that works to conserve nature, connect people to it and promote better environmental stewardship.
Carlson knows the calming effects nature can have on people and wants not just some, but all people to experience that. The staff at the center focus on removing barriers to accessibility as much as they can so all people can experience the joy nature has to offer.
“Finding ways to allow people with many different abilities to get close to nature, but still in a safe way. And, you know, we want to provide ways for people to, you know, hear in nature, see nature, feel nature, smell nature in many different ways,” said Carlson.
And Rapp does just that. Having this trail nearby has increased her independence significantly. She lives about five minutes down the road and can come to the trail on her own. But she often likes to invite her mom Helen or other family members to tag along.
"It's a place where I'm comfortable letting Jane come by herself because I know she's not gonna get stuck or fall off of something. And I can come with her and we can enjoy the fall leaves. We can enjoy the snow falling," said Helen Rapp. "Because of the pandemic and because other than being outside, there's not a whole lot you can do. This has meant everything to us. This place is magnificent. There's really no place like it that I can think of, and to have it in our wonderful little neighborhood just is incredible."
The mother-daughter duo sometimes comes to sit and talk, and other times to stroll and walk.
“The ADA became law over 30 years ago and you would be amazed at how many places still are not accessible. And so to see something like this, that really was well thought out and planned and designed so that nobody would be excluded. As a mom, I just, it makes me really happy,” said Helen Rapp.
Being able to walk next to each other and enjoy the beauty of nature is something many people may take for granted, but the Rapps are thankful for it.
“I'm just like any other 25-year-old. I went away to school, I'm living at home with my parents right now, but I'm [just like] anyone else. So it improves inclusion and it is very nice for people with all disabilities and abilities alike,” said Jane Rapp.
For more information on the All People’s Trail or more about The Nature Center at Shaker Lakes, you can visit shakerlakes.org.