Did you know that 61 million adults in the United States have a disability? With 26% of the US population living with this, that can be a large chunk of people to try to accommodate.
The U.S. national parks are no exception, as they have made efforts over the years to accommodate these people with disabilities.
Luckily for these people, the National Park Service (NPS) has made it a little easier. For only $10, Americans with a permanent disability can apply for a lifetime pass to all national parks and other recreation sites.
Individuals with Disabilities Can Get a Lifetime Pass to National Parks for $10
So, how can you do this? What information do you need to provide? What are the benefits of receiving this pass?
This is your guide.
What Is the Lifetime Access Pass?
The lifetime Access Pass is a pass for any American with a permanent disability to gain permanent access to the national parks without paying for a yearly America the Beautiful Pass.
This pass not only covers Americans that wish to visit all 63 national parks but also covers over 2,000 recreation sites that are part of the National Park Service.
The pass allows people with permanent disabilities more access to these national parks. The NPS is doing this by making it financially more accessible for those with disabilities.
An America, the Beautiful Pass can cost $80 per year. This gives you access for 12 consecutive months to all national parks and recreation areas in the United States and United States territories.
Who Is Eligible?
Two main things qualify you for this Access Pass. The first thing is that you have to be living in the United States. To meet this requirement, you either need proof of residency or proof of citizenship.
So, unfortunately, if you do not have a residency visa, a green card, or citizenship in the United States, you cannot apply for this pass.
The second thing that makes you eligible for this pass is proof that you have a permanent disability. No, the NPS will not just take your word for it.
What you will need here is a statement by a licensed physician stating that you have a permanent disability.
Also, you could provide proof of this disability by showing that you get social security disability income if this applies to you. Truthfully, any document from a federal agency will suffice for this request.
Along with the above two requests, if you have documents from a state agency supporting your claim for a permanent physical disability, that will also work for you.
How Do You Apply?
Next, you need to apply. This can be either your driver’s license or your passport. To do this, you will need to send the mentioned documents and a copy of your photo identification.
Once you have all of this prepared, you can send the application by mail or do it at a federal recreation site. There is a processing fee of $10 for this application, but there are no other expenses for this application of this pass.
What You Get
You get access to all of the country’s beautiful national parks and recreation sites if approved for this pass. These can be some of the most desired spots for Americans and international tourists to see, and you will get lifetime access to these destinations for $10.
Say you were to buy a regular America the Beautiful pass yearly for a decade. $80 per year would cost you $800 over a decade.
What if you had a way to turn an $800 expense into a $10 fee? That is what this pass provides you with.
You can also have an affordable vacation every year for the rest of your life. Millions of people visit certain national parks yearly and plan vacations around them.
You can do the same but only have to pay $10 for the rest of your life.
Getting More Out of Life
Finally, it can be stressful and possibly even depressing to live with a disability. You may feel down in the dumps and feel like you have certain limitations in life.
Well, a lifetime Access Pass can help you get more access to the things that you love rather than less. Plus, it can motivate you to leave your house and live your life.
It can be compared to someone who did not have a considerable interest in an item on display at the mall until they saw a sign saying there was a big sale. Then, that got them to purchase the item, and from there, the person fell in love with it.
Use this as an opportunity to fall in love with national parks and experience the great outdoors of the United States like everybody else.
Explore the U.S. National Parks
This is how the Lifetime Access Pass can allow you more opportunities to explore U.S. national parks. If you have a permanent disability, get the documentation required in order and then send it to the National Parks Service.
But what if you are in a situation where you do not have enough paperwork to claim disability? What if you need to prove your case that you have a permanent disability?
Get a free case evaluation from us today to go over your claim.