Newark, DE

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025

Project Category: Trails

Description: This project will install two ADA-compliant benches along accessible trails. These benches will be placed at regular intervals to provide resting spaces for people with mobility limitations.

Homer, AK

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019

Project Category: Trails

Description: To welcome visitors of all abilities, the Kachemak Heritage Land Trust installed large-font signage on its Poopdeck Platt property. Part of long-term efforts to create an accessible trail on the site, the signs display QR codes, which link to recordings of local people reading the sign text accompanied by soothing music. The park is in downtown Homer, and the trail connects Homer's Independent Living Center to nearby Bishop's Beach. Today, the property is home to a story walk and the local library has plans to expand the trail, with a focus on local indigenous history. Since installing the signposts, the Land Trust has referenced their design to inspire signage at kiosks along other trails.

Portland, OR

AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024

Project Category: Trails

Description: Southwest Portland's lack of sidewalks forces older adults to navigate unsafe streets, limiting independence and access to essentials. To address this, SWTrails installed 55 new signs and replaced 196 damaged ones along its 46-mile volunteer-built trail network, making routes easier to follow. Volunteers, many age 60-plus, committed to ongoing maintenance, ensuring trails remain safe for walking and transit access. These improvements enhance mobility and reduce isolation for residents who rely on trails for daily travel. One user shared, "I now use these trails to get to my bus stop since there are no sidewalks in our area."