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The Connecticut Audubon Society (2024) Print
2024 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Accessibility of amenities
└ Accessibility of amenities
Decades of use left the Birds of Prey Compound without safe, accessible pathways, limiting older adults and visitors with mobility challenges from enjoying this popular nature experience. To address this, the organization installed a 160-foot elevated boardwalk with capped railings, a turnaround for wheelchairs and a drainage system for year-round safety. The renovation opened the door to new programs like a winter naturalist series and partnerships with local centers. By improving access, the project combats isolation and promotes health benefits of outdoor activity while deepening community engagement with wildlife education.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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Helena, MT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Accessibility of amenities
Description: Older adults and wheelchair users faced barriers accessing Tenmile Creek Park near Helena due to limited infrastructure. The project expanded parking and installed the region's only wheelchair charging station at a trailhead, complete with an overhead cover and bench for comfort. Volunteers helped build the overhang and bring electricity to the site, ensuring usability in all weather. These upgrades make outdoor recreation more inclusive and have sparked plans for similar amenities elsewhere, while supporting ongoing trail maintenance for year-round accessibility.
Owensboro, KY
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Accessibility of amenities
Description: This project will create a greenspace in a new ten-house subdivision. This space will include sod, landscaping, outdoor seating, trash receptacles, signage, and a small playground.
Blytheville, AR
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Accessibility of amenities
Description: A walk audit of Blytheville's downtown revealed many crosswalks didn't include curb cuts, making them difficult to navigate for people with disabilities. Because of this, people using wheelchairs or pushing strollers had to venture into the street to access a ramp. To address this, Main Street Blytheville poured concrete to create 20 curb ramps. Organizers say the ramps make downtown more walkable and inclusive for people of all ages and abilities. One local business owner said, "I didn't even realize how much we needed those until you did this project. I have seen new faces coming into my store and I believe it was because you made it easier for them to get around when they visit." MainStreet organizers report the project has since spurred the City to address other pedestrian infrastructure needs, including leveling uneven sidewalks.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Fairfield, CT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Accessibility of amenities
Description: Older visitors often struggled to access the museum's flagship exhibition on regional history due to limited sight, hearing and language barriers. The project added large-print labels, Spanish translations, closed-captioned videos with audio headsets and a touchable topographic map. This helped create multiple ways to engage with the content. These upgrades have broadened participation among older adults and improved sensory-friendly experiences. Surveys show strong use of the new features, and the museum plans ongoing evaluation to refine accessibility and guide future projects.
Bridgeport, CT
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Engaging people in transportation options/safety
Description: To create community cohesion and connection, Groundwork Bridgeport's walking club hosted three intergenerational walking events in Bridgeport's downtown and along its waterfront. Using the AARP Walk Audit Tool Kit as a guide, participants helped identify important community destinations, as well as ways to improve the pedestrian experience. They also collected litter as they walked. Before each walk, volunteers placed temporary wayfinding stickers on the sidewalks to help the group navigate. Project organizers say the initiative's popularity demonstrated an appetite for walking activities and pedestrian paths in Bridgeport. Today, the organization continues to host its walking club, which meets every Saturday.
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