Judith “Judy” Heumann, a 75-year-old disability rights activist, is featured in the new documentary “The Accessible Outdoors.”
LOS OLIVOS — NatureTrack Film Festival’s award-winning documentary “The Accessible Outdoors” was recently released and is now available to the public.
You can watch the 15-minute documentary for free at vimeo.com/634811616. NatureTrack Film Festival, which is based in Los Oilvos, released the documentary to celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which took place Dec. 3.
The documentary was directed by Mitchka Saberi and Francisco Lopez, and executive-produced by NatureTrack’s founder Sue Eisaguirre. The documentary made the rounds to more than two dozen festivals where it picked up several awards.
“The Accessible Outdoors” highlights the importance of access to nature for people with disabilities and how important nature appreciation is in general. It features interviews with various disability activists and wheelchair users. It also shows the Freedom Trax device, the game-changer for wheelchair users who long to be close to nature. Families can reserve a Freedom Trax for beach outings, or in the parks where terrain can be uneven. The devices are also available to nonprofits,
“This past year, NatureTrack Foundation has expanded its outdoor field trips to be accessible to wheelchair users, and we’ve met so many wonderful people along the way!” Ms. Eisaguirre said in a news release. :Access to nature is a universal right, which includes our community members with disabilities. Getting out onto the beautiful trails and beaches in California should be accessible to everyone as part of their everyday life.”
Ms. Eisaguirrre secured 10 devices thanks to private donors and grants from Santa Barbara County and the state of California’s “Route to the Parks” push for more accessibility.
— Staff reports
