A new tracked device allows Iowa wheelchair users to reach the beach

Iowans who rely on wheelchairs for mobility can now access the sandy beach – or virtually anywhere else – at Big Creek State Park in a motorized wheelchair that is part wheelchair, part ATV.

Chad Kelchen, parks supervisor for the Iowa DNR, says the new Action Trackchair is designed to handle more challenging terrain than a typical wheelchair.

“It has a set of tracks on it like you would see on a tracked wheel loader or something like that,” Kelchen says. “It really opens up areas that have traditionally been too difficult for traditional users to tackle. And that’s our goal: to give everyone access to the beach, the sand and some really tall grassy areas. The chair just handles it all.”

The track chair is the first solution of this type for the agency. Kelchen says he has noticed that people with mobility issues are left to their own devices Near but no ON beach, which must have been frustrating.

“People would take their friends or relatives, whoever, to the edge of the concrete and stay there. And then three or four people tried to pick them up with a blanket or something to move them to where they wanted to stay on the beach,” Kelchen says. “This allows an individual user to say, ‘I want to go there.’ I want to go here wherever you want and not have to rely on anyone else. They are completely autonomous.”

The trackchair can handle slopes of up to 30 degrees and has a padded seat, adjustable reclining backrest and headrest. The battery can be charged for five to seven hours, depending on the terrain.

“Right now, Big Creek State Park is the only location we have in the state park system. We hope to expand the program, but we’ll step back a bit and see how it works, Kelchen says. “How does this work in terms of queuing it up? How does this compare to actual implementation? What do we need to look for in terms of maintenance and things like that before we make a huge investment. They are really expensive.”

The $20,000 chair came to Iowa free of charge thanks to a grant from the Ford Bronco Wild Fund, administered by the U.S. State Parks Foundation.

Big Creek State Park is located in Polk City, north of Des Moines.