Special to the Banner-News
LITTLE ROCK -- The Simmons First Foundation has joined with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission and Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation to sponsor a new initiative to make the outdoors more accessible to all Arkansans. Representatives from Simmons First Foundation donated a check to the AGFF for more than $60,000 to sponsor a new adaptive recreation program to increase outdoor opportunities and awareness for mobility-impaired individuals.
"Simmons First Foundation believes in the power of supporting our communities," said Tommy May, chairman of the Simmons First Foundation. "We are honored to provide this donation, which will provide a better outdoor experience for all Arkansans with disabilities."
The AGFC hopes to revitalize its offerings to mobility-impaired users during mentored hunts and other outdoors opportunities through equipment such as off--road track chairs. These electric wheelchairs are equipped with rubberized tracks to allow the user to overcome many types of terrain, providing greater access to hunting, shooting, angling and wildlife-watching opportunities for mobility-impaired individuals.
"Increasing access to the outdoors and AGFC facilities is more than a goal of the agency, it is mission critical," AGFC Director Austin Booth said. "It is so important that we consider all Arkansans have the opportunity to engage with the outdoors. With today's technology, we are more capable than ever of offering these experiences to mobility-impaired individuals."
In addition to the chairs, the AGFC wants to invest in additional adaptive gear for fishing, archery, hunting and paddling that would be available at its nine nature centers to be more inclusive to all guests. Additional public access points such as ADA-compliant fishing piers and trails at AGFC facilities also are possible.
"We also plan to create a portal on the agency's website geared toward awareness of the many opportunities available to people in Arkansas's outdoors and the adaptive recreation gear available to them to continue their journey into the outdoors," Spencer Griffith, AGFC Deputy Director of Education and Outreach, said. "Our companions at the [Arkansas Game and Fish Foundation] have been vital in connecting the AGFC with many new partners like Simmons First Foundation to make great strides in our mission. These sorts of partnerships are the key to ushering in a new era of the outdoors for everyone."