Will County’s Four River’s Nature Center earns national honor for inclusivity

Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon is the first nature center in the country to receive accreditation as an inclusive facility from the National Inclusion Project.

The National Inclusion Project Accredited Program status, announced Nov. 13, means Four Rivers has met the standards set by the organization for inclusive practices for individuals with disabilities.

“Expert review of written documentation, program materials and on-site observation found that Four Rivers met the highest standards for including all community members,” said Amanda Kloo, director of inclusive recreation at the National Inclusion Project.

“Four Rivers is not only the flagship inclusion-accredited environmental education center in your community, it is the flagship inclusion-accredited environmental education center in the United States,” said Jerome Gabriel, the forest preserve’s facility supervisor at Four Rivers. “Experiencing the natural world shouldn’t be reserved only for those who can easily access it. It should be a universal opportunity for everyone.

“The Four Rivers staff wants every person, regardless of ability, to be able to interact with the exhibits, programs and educational opportunities that we provide to the public.”

Welcoming of everyone

The accreditation process has allowed Four Rivers staff to learn what it means to truly be inclusive, and then use that knowledge to provide a better experience for visitors, Gabriel said.

“For families that may have been hesitant to bring a member out to Four Rivers, this accreditation can give them the peace of mind that this facility is welcoming of everyone, regardless of ability level,” Gabriel said. “They know their family member will not only be welcomed but will be able to interact with our exhibits, have trails to explore and programs to learn from.”

The same is true for teachers and day-program directors, he said.

Inclusion items at Four Rivers are buddy bags, a quiet space, an all-persons trail, paved trails, an exhibit guide, custom communication/talking boards and easy-viewing spotting scopes.

Also, the site offers a custom visual schedule creator; screen reader-enabled PDFs; program/event accommodations; social story digital narratives for the facility staff and programs; live captioning during presentations; monthly Sensory Sunday programs; inclusive field trips for public, private or home-schooled therapeutic day school and adult day programs; and a pre-visit walkthrough video.

For more information on accessibility and inclusion at the site, visit the Four Rivers FAQ webpage. For more information on the Forest Preserve District of Will County, visit ReconnectWithNature.org.