‘An experience I didn't know if I'd ever get to have’: Indian Creek Nature Center increases accessibility with new wheelchairs

CEDAR RAPIDS — When Rylie Erbacher has free time, you can usually find her painting, experimenting with different art mediums or working with her peers for her high school’s short-film club.

But Rylie, a sophomore at Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids, couldn’t participate in many outdoor adventures or be immersed in nature because she uses a wheelchair — that is, until a local nonprofit purchased three all-terrain wheelchairs so people of all abilities could experience the outdoors.

“I hadn't gotten to do anything like that before. It's something I couldn't have done in my wheelchair, so it like it was an experience I didn't know if I'd ever get to have,” the 15-year-old said. “It was really nice.”

She explored the trails Thursday along Indian Creek Nature Center, marking her second time using the all-terrain wheelchair. Before then, she was able to test drive the chair over the summer with her family for the first hike of her life.

Rylie — who turns 16 this weekend — said navigating the wheelchair was “pretty easy.” She said it took a minute to get used to, especially when going over some bumps and rocks along the trails. But she got the hang of it.

The Indian Creek Nature Center in southeast Cedar Rapids launched the All-Terrain Wheelchair Campaign in 2024, which raised money so the nonprofit could purchase the wheelchairs. On March 13, the organization officially launched its reservation system allowing community members to reserve the chairs at no cost for use at the nature center — the first of its kind in Cedar Rapids.

“I didn't get to do a lot outside because nature isn't built accessibly,” Rylie said. “But having this (all-terrain wheelchair), I've really enjoyed getting to go out with people and experience nature. The fact that I'll have the opportunity to do it more often over the summer is really exciting.”

John Myers, executive director of Indian Creek Nature Center, said the chairs contribute to the center’s vision to get people outdoors and inspired by the natural world.

“This was a natural opportunity for us to look at people of all abilities to be able to get outside. It doesn't matter the mobility impairment. It could be a permanent disability, or it could be age-related mobility issues. We welcome anybody that feels like they are able and comfortable to come out and use the chairs, and it will give them the opportunity to get outside and enjoy nature,” Myers said. “There's so many benefits to experiencing nature and the outdoors.”

All-terrain wheelchairs — which are also known as outdoor wheelchairs — are engineered with treaded tires that allow for enhanced grip and stability. The treaded tires make it possible for users to go over gravel, mud, grass, snow, hills, mulch and other uneven surfaces that typical wheelchairs wouldn’t be able to cross.

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The nature center has three chairs available to be reserved. Two are adult-sized and one is youth-sized. The chairs are available to reserve for three-hour time frames to ensure that each user has enough battery life in the chair for the duration of the hike.

Myers said that each chair is typically used only once per day so it has time to fully charge after use.

To reserve the chairs, Myers said residents can go to the nature center’s “About Us” section on its website to access the request form. Users can also reserve the chairs over the phone by calling the center. Myers said the center will confirm the reservation within 24 hours and the chairs can be reserved months in advance.

“We've already had some bookings come up for this summer as well,” he said. “And on that reservation form, you can select which chair you want to reserve as well, because each chair has different features that would be most advantageous for different types of situations.“

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Some of the features include the joysticks used to steer the chair on different sides in case a user has mobility on only one side. Myers said that all three chairs have a feature called “attendant control,” which allows someone to push and steer the chair from behind.

Investing in the chairs

Stephanie Erbacher, Rylie’s mom, said that being outdoors is good for mental health and that it’s a good “boost” for everyone. But now, with access to the wheelchairs at Indian Creek, it’s an opportunity for the whole family to get out without anyone being left out.

“Just as little as 20 minutes of time spent outdoors helps to decrease stress levels and makes people happier,” Myers said. “So (there’s) great mental health benefits to get outside, but also just recreation and relaxation. Just enjoying the outdoors is so important for people.”

Stephanie Erbacher said it’s especially nice that there isn’t a fee associated with reserving a chair.

“Honestly, there are often families that have so many expenses. If this stuff (like all-terrain wheelchairs) were within reach, every family would have their own,” she said. ”So, to have something like this here that we wouldn't be able to get on our own, is a big deal.“

Myers said an important piece of this program was ensuring that the wheelchairs are available at no cost to users.

The center raised $250,000 to purchase the chairs, which are roughly $20,000 each. The nonprofit was able to exceed its original fundraising goal by 13 percent, which will go toward long-term maintenance for the chairs and improvements to the trails.

Myers said that for now the center will stay with the three chairs, but is open to buying additional ones in the future if there is demand.

Building awareness

Stephanie Erbacher said the center’s wheelchairs are one of the few such programs she knows about in the area.

Although creating a more accessible community has been gradual, there has been an increased awareness about the lack accessibility in the last decade, she said.

“As things become more accessible, and people are able to see individuals with disabilities out in their community and are willing to kind of have conversations about where there are access needs that aren't currently being met, we're kind of able to have slow progress,” Erbacher said. “But any progress, really, is a win at this point.”

She said she is thankful for the effort to fundraise for the chairs.

“I don't really know how to say it, but I'm just very deeply grateful for this opportunity,” Erbacher said.

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Olivia Cohen covers energy and environment for The Gazette and is a corps member with Report for America, a national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-covered issues.

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Comments: olivia.cohen@thegazette.com