accessible* Homer, Alaska

accessible* Homer, Alaska

Wheelchair rider on boardwalk overlooking Homer Harbor

Wheelchair rider entering boardwalk at Wynn Nature Center

Homer is an incredible place to live or visit--and that should be true for everyBODY!  In fact, Homer's stunning setting--perched on the shores of Kachemak Bay--along with its spectacular outdoor recreation; great places to stay; delicious offerings at cafes and restaurants; world-class fishing; diverse and innovative farming; active art community; variety of businesses promoting wellness; and more make it the go-to destination for folks with disabilities who want a wonderful Alaskan experience.  This website--a work in progress--is intended to help everyBODY enjoy all the wonders and enjoyment that can be found in Homer and around Kachemak Bay.  To suggest additions or changes to information on this website, please email Devony at dlehner@peninsulailc.org.   THANK YOU!

Welcome to accessible* Homer

This website emphasizes recreation and leisure activities available in Homer for those experiencing disabilities.


This website is for travelers thinking of visiting Homer, Alaska (and for local folks too). We emphasize information useful for those with a disability. Accessible Homer is for slow walkers, wheelchair riders, folks with limited vision, and others experiencing a disability. We’ve tried to compile information to help you enjoy Homer’s many offerings—on your own or with friends and family. This website is maintained by the TRAILS inclusive recreation program at Homer Independent Living Center. 

TRAILSTotal Recreation And Independent Living Services

TRAILS promotes inclusive recreational and leisure activities on the southern Kenai Peninsula. We want folks who love travel and adventure to find what they’re looking for here in the Homer area—a fun and beautiful place we love to share.

logo for TRAILS program

Call TRAILS at 907-235-7911

* accessible means different things in different contexts. If a place meets standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), we note that. If it's working in that direction but not yet there, we describe (or show in photos or videos) the conditions you'll find. That way, YOU can decide if it's accessible to YOU. We include contact information so you can discuss expectations and needs. 

logo for Independent Living Center

Call ILC at 907-235-7911

Contact Homer's ILC office (907.235.7911) to find out what adaptive equipment is available for use by visitors to Homer.

How to use accessible* Homer

CLICK a choice below to find places and activities in Homer
and information about their accessibility.

The GREEN BUTTON jumps to TABLE 1, which links to different KINDS of businesses, places, and activities, like restaurants, camping, trails, art galleries, bicycle rentals, scenic drives, museums, kayaking, boardwalks—that sort of thing. 

The GOLD BUTTON jumps to TABLE 2, which links to businesses and places listed by NAME, such as Islands and Ocean Visitor Center, Homer Public Library, Pratt Museum, Halibut Cove.  

The accessible* Homer playlist on YouTube shows videos of wheelchair users visiting places around town.

green button linking to general kinds of activities or businesses

gold button linking to places, vendors, or businesses by name

The Homer area offers many ways to recreate and enjoy satisfying activities and beautiful surroundings. Places to visit range from the ADA accessible Islands and Ocean Visitor Center and Pratt Museum to wheelchair-friendly trails to boat tours of Kachemak Bay, charming shops and art galleries, delicious places to eat, and comfy places to stay. The two tables accessed above should help you find what you're looking for. If you have suggestions, feedback, or questions, please email Devony at dlehner@peninsulailc.org.  

GETTING TO HOMER For information on how to get to Homer, click here.


If you want your business on accessible* Homer,
contact TRAILS at Independent Living Center

Contact TRAILS if you want accessible* Homer to describe or link to your business or if you want to suggest places or activities to add to our tables.

If you're a business with a website, you can develop your own content about your accessibility, including descriptions and photos.  Then TRAILS can add a link going straight to that content.  If you'd like guidance on improving accessibility, check out resources on this page ideas to improve access, including examples and ideas from Homer businesses and venues. (You'll also find links to help you understand ADA "Title III" requirements that businesses should meet to be in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.)  

The sticker above is the accessibleHomer window sticker.
If you'd like to earn the sticker for your business, click
 here to learn how.


You can search using

two kinds of lists:


1.   general activities and types of places,

2.   named places and vendors.


This website is a work in progress.  Businesses, locations,
and activities are added as we learn about them and their accessibility.  We rely on businesses and vendors to provide us information about their access conditions.  We also post “accessible* Homer” videos so YOU can decide whether you're comfortable, for example, being lifted by friends or willing staff onto a boat or helped over a threshold or down a trail or across a beach.


Email dlehner@peninsulailc.org with any comments, photos, videos you'd like to share about places you visit.


If an offering doesn’t meet
ADA standards but is working towards that goal, we describe what you’ll find.



More information about the Homer area

Links for exploring Homer online

To learn about the Homer area, click on the links below.

Homer Chamber of Commerce

City of Homer

City of Homer Community Recreation Guide

City resolution to become Universally Accessible

City of Homer ADA Compliance

City of Homer Parks and Recreation

Kachemak Bay Water Trail

Shorezone click start button and then zoom to Homer on map

The Milepost magazine This annual publication lists sites and destinations found at particular mileposts on all of Alaska's highways

 

No pictures to show

 


More information about accessible travel

Links to online resources for folks traveling with disabilities

accessibleGO --"Making travel more accessible, together;" this website offers discounts, describes destinations, provides reviews, offers a way to review businesses yourself, and more.  They even have a section where anyone can share their travel recommendations, experiences, or knowledge; and if you would like, accessibleGO will find you lodgings with specific kinds of accommodations.  Click here to see their basic list of accessibility rating categories for lodgings.

NCHPAD (National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability)--Founded in 1999, NCHPAD provides information on physical activity, health promotion, and disability in order to promote "building healthy inclusive communities."

TravAbility -- Specialist travel agency for inclusive travel and advocates for accessible tourism.

TravelAbility Insider -- an online magazine with articles about traveling with a disability, co-sponsor of 2019 TravelAbility Summit: "A first-ever gathering of travel industry professionals with product and service innovators dedicated to improving travel experiences for individuals with physical, visual, auditory and cognitive disabilities."

WheelchairTravel --"resources to help you plan a wheelchair-accessible vacation"




4 photo(s) Updated on: Tuesday, April 23, 2019
  • The boardwalk at the Wynn Nature Center is narrow but affords wonderful experiences of woods and meadows.
  • The boardwalk at the Wynn Nature Center opens up onto a large viewing platform with plenty of room for everybody to enjoy the meadow together. Stairs lead down to a hiking trail.
  • Skipper Ross of Coastal Marine gets ready to help Ylka board, Tela and a crew member are ready to assist.
  • Ramp 3 at Homer Harbor is the wheelchair accessible ramp. It can be very steep at extreme low tides. Skipper Ross is making sure that Ylka's descent backwards is safe. Tela is ready to help.

Below are rating categories that accessibleGO uses to rate lodgings and related places:


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