Hendricks County Accessibility Initiatives
If your family is looking for an inclusive mini-trip, consider a visit to Hendricks County, Indiana. Visit Hendricks County is rolling our a new initiative called CARE to Connect on December 1st, thanks in part to a recent $5,000 grant from the Hendricks County Community Foundation.
The targeted 12-month program ties directly to the organization’s Destination Defined: Connecting the Community, Visitors & Residents strategic plan, announced last November. Destination Defined directed VHC to invest in initiatives that support destination development. This includes identifying infrastructure and programming needs that ensure all visitors—regardless of ability—can fully experience Hendricks County.
“Inclusivity, equity and accessibility are foundational to Visit HendricksCounty’s mission to enhance the quality of life for all residents and visitors,” said Jaime Bohler Smith, Executive Director/CEO of VHC. “As our community evolves, we recognize that our destination must reflect the people who live, work and travel here. This investment will help identify local attractions that can provide improved access for all.”
These enhancements improve access not only for visitors but also for residents and Hendricks County’s other primary stakeholders. Accessibility is a foundational priority in the long-term vision for equitable, community-centered growth. In fact, the CARE in the name of the initiative is an acronym that stands for Community Accessibility, Readiness & Education.
Visit Hendricks County will host a kick-off event early next year featuring a renowned expert to educate community partners on the importance of accessibility and learn how to make their businesses more inclusive.
VHC recently signed a contract to partner with trusted accessibility organization Wheel the World, to conduct professional accessibility audits for high-impact, experience-based businesses. A limited number of businesses will be selected in the first year of the program based on the top three experience priorities identified in our resident and destination research: outdoor activities, dining and events and festivals.
Businesses will receive detailed audit reports and guidance on making improvements. Once audited, they will be eligible for accessibility verification, improving usability, transparency and market visibility. Visit Hendricks County will then partner with each business to help apply the changes that make their business more accessible to all.
The $5,000 grant was awarded through the Deedee Daniel Opportunity Fund, administered by the Hendricks County Community Foundation’s Community Impact Grant Program. In addition to the grant, Visit Hendricks County will invest $12,500, bringing the program’s total cost in its first year to $17,500.
To review VHC’s full strategic plan, visit www.visithendrickscounty.com/partners/strategic-plan. To learn more about current accessibility resources in Hendricks County, go to www.visithendrickscounty.com/accessibility/.
