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Support Committee at Jacksonville National Cemetery Inc. (2024) Print
2024 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Accessibility of amenities
└ Accessibility of amenities
Visitors lacked safe seating in the cemetery's main lobby after an infinity pool was drained due to falls, leaving older adults and people with disabilities without a comfortable place to rest or check grave information. Volunteers transformed the space into a dignified seating area with teak benches, marble accents and flags representing military branches. They also added lighting and plaques for a welcoming design. The new area now offers a safe, attractive spot for veterans and families to gather and connect. The dedication drew strong community turnout and sparked interest from other cemeteries to replicate the design.
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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Greenland, NH
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2021
Project Category: Accessibility of amenities
Description: The Great Bay Discovery Center serves to support land protection and research, as well as provide a space for learning about the Great Bay estuarine ecosystem. To make the space more welcoming, the Great Bay Stewards expanded the Center's accessible garden, adding a new sensory garden and an accessible swing. The Estuary Inclusion Garden now features a space where people with intellectual disabilities can experience the area through sight, sound, touch, taste and smell. The centerpiece of the garden is a blue heron sculpture created by a local artist and surrounded by grasses, flowers and herbs.
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.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Cheyenne, OK
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2022
Project Category: Accessibility of amenities
Description: Older adults and residents with mobility challenges struggled to access all areas of the Rook Event Center because temporary wooden handrails were unstable and unsafe. Friends of the Rook replaced them with permanent, ADA-compliant handrails at key locations, including the top level, doorway transition and patio ramp. Volunteers assisted with design and cleanup. The new handrails improved safety and accessibility, enabling older adults to navigate the space confidently. At a recent fundraiser, many used the handrails to reach the lower level, and the project sparked community interest in further accessibility upgrades.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Jacksonville, FL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2024
Project Category: Public art installations
Description: This project will install lit gateway markers throughout the Cathedral Hill neighborhood to enhance safety and wayfinding. The markers will also support gathering spaces within the community.
Jacksonville, FL
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: HomeFit Modifications
Description: The Arc Jacksonville focused on reducing fall risk and safety hazards that can quickly undermine independence for older adults with intellectual and developmental differences. As vision changes and mobility challenges made familiar homes feel unpredictable, caregivers and staff needed practical ways to adapt living spaces. The project delivered five hands-on trainings for direct support professionals, family caregivers, managers and residents, combining walk-through home assessments with guidance from the HomeFit guide and a low-vision session led by an occupational therapist. Equipment was added to improve lighting, visibility and stability in several homes. One resident with significant vision loss regained confidence moving through his home and returned to daily routines. Staff now carry repeatable assessment skills into ongoing training, strengthening the long-term capacity of community homes to support older adults safely and with dignity.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
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