Outdoor Electric Assist Devices: Opportunity or Opposition

This webinar addresses recent advancements in technology incorporated into bicycles, scooters, skateboards, and wheelchairs. These traditionally person-powered devises were limited based a person’s ability to propel them. Now battery powered and even robotic, they have been adapted in gearing and design to travel at high speeds and over just about any type of terrain regardless of the level of the operator’s experience. The presentation will focus on how these devises are opening up opportunities for additional user groups and explore some of the devises on the market, show the range of their capabilities, discuss the concerns about safety, speed, and off-road ability. The discussion will present some solutions to the challenges of regulating and guiding the use of them and offer some sample polices. This technology is here and will change the definition of access to remote areas of parks, preserves, and conservation areas.

Learning Objectives:

• Learn about the types of e-devices that are being used for recreation in parks. Learn there capability/speeds and the opportunities/concerns they present. Discuss sample policy and approaches to keeping site users safe in either promoting/tolerating/or prohibiting this type of site use.
• Learn about some of the electric assisted mobile devices and how recent developments in form and function is providing opportunity far beyond the concept of just wheelchair access.
• Discuss how these are revolutionizing access and that agencies may need policy revisions to accommodate this opportunity