If you or your child has a permanent disability you may be entitled to a free lifetime pass to visit the National Parks and Federal Recreational Lands.
I actually learned about the program because a friend of mine’s child has Type-1 diabetes and qualities for the program. Qualifying disabilities include physical, mental or sensory impairments.
The pass can be used at more than 2000 Federal recreation sites across the nation. Those include National Parks, National Wildlife Refuges, National Forests and other federal recreation lands. It also extends that same privilege to everyone in the vehicle with the pass holder. So, if one person in your family qualifies, you can all visit a park for free with that person’s pass.
In order to get a pass you’ll need:
A statement signed by a licensed physician attesting that you have a permanent physical, mental or sensory impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, and stating the nature of the impairment.
ORA document issued by a Federal agency, such as the U.S. Department of Veterans Administration, which attests that you have been medically determined to be eligible to receive federal benefits as a result of blindness or permanent disability. Other acceptable federal agency documents include proof of receipt of Social Security Disability Income (SSDI) or Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
ORA document issued by a state agency such as a vocational rehabilitation agency, which attests that you have been medically determined to be eligible to receive vocational rehabilitation agency benefits or services as a result of medically determined blindness or permanent disability. Showing a state motor vehicle department disability sticker, license plate or hang tag is not acceptable documentation.
You’ll need to fill out this application, and then either mail it in with a $10 processing fee or go to a federal recreation site in person with proof of disability and residency, in which case you can skip paying the fee and filling out the form. The Access Passes can also be purchased online through their website, which is the organization’s preferred way to receive applications.
Once your application is processed, you’ll receive a physical card that can be used for park admission.
This article was originally published in 2019 and updated on March 13, 2020 by Elizabeth Yuko. Updates include the following: Checked links for accuracy, changed feature image and updated formatting to reflect current style.