As some of you know, a few days ago I created a virtual meetup to address a topic that’s very important to me: emotional and psychological accessibility. Virtual Meetup: Exploring Emotional & Psychological Accessibility in Google Maps! The event has allowed me to explore places that go above and beyond in their accessibility mission 
, and I want to document what I’m discovering on Google Maps in our community 
. I hope to inspire you, raise awareness, and, who knows, maybe even create a ripple effect. 
In this post, I’ll share my experience at Cattus Island County Park Cattus Island Ocean County Park. This is a park I’ve visited many times; I love it. 
However, recently I’ve been focusing on the details it offers and how these extra features make it a prime example of psychological and emotional accessibility. 
Today, my wife and I arrived at Cattus Island at 9:30 a.m. We wanted to go for a nice hike 
. The park has ample space (over 500 acres) and multiple easy trails. Seconds after getting out of the car, we saw what I considered a good sign of what was to come: a woman walking three happy dogs 
. The sunny day 
and mild temperature (80°F) were perfect for making the most of the day.
The first detail of emotional accessibility : This park has multiple spaces for contemplating the landscapes. They’ve installed benches in strategic locations where people can spend time reading a book, thinking, listening in silence to the different sounds of the environment, chatting with friends, or simply contemplating the varied landscapes.
In fact, according to what I researched online, Cattus Island Park has a number of different ecosystems within it, though the majority is considered a maritime upland forest. This forest consists mostly of oak and pine trees, such as the pitch pine and the shortleaf pine 
. The images I’m sharing show different moments where we saw people doing just that—having a good time, energized by nature.
From there, we proceeded to the easier trail, which takes approximately 45 minutes or about 2 miles. This trail is flat, making it accessible to everyone: children, adults, parents strolling with their babies, or people walking their pets 
. We even saw many older people making this beautiful journey with walkers (rollators). Perhaps the most beautiful moment of the walk was meeting an elderly gentleman and his wife on some benches near the end of the trail. They had walked those 2 miles with a walker and told us they came back often; in fact, it was their most anticipated plan of the week.
Accessibility point #1 is that the first trail is flat, allowing for the use of a wide variety of mobility aids. Point #2 is the placement of benches at different stages of the trail, allowing you to rest whenever you want. Trail #3 ends when you reach a small beach overlooking the lake 
. It’s like the icing on the cake for trail hikers. They told us it was their favorite thing: sitting quietly and looking at the ocean 
, without the noise, while watching the little kids play on the shore. This level of accessibility doesn’t end there; they’ve even laid an artificial surface that serves as a flat path to the benches located on the beach itself, meaning anyone who needs a walker can easily reach the beach.
Once we finished this trail, we decided to do something a little more adventurous and took Trail #2. The second trail involves a more strenuous hike, but it’s still very doable for children and adults. However, wheelchairs and walkers aren’t a viable option here. We met another older couple (not using canes or walkers) who were sitting on a bench chatting while their dog rested. They told us they also like to go to this park often and that this “hidden” bench is perfect for carrying their thermos of coffee 
and some snacks 
and spending a quiet afternoon at sunset 
“Disconnected” was the word I remember them saying.
We left happy, not only for the time we spent together exercising but also for all the photos and experiences that now allow me to write about this place 
. It’s proof that with creativity, certain resources, and willpower, it’s possible to create environments that lift people’s spirits, cheer them up, and make their days more pleasant with things that require nothing more than our senses to fully appreciate.
This post marks the beginning of a series of stories that seek to raise awareness and purpose, mainly for me, and who knows, maybe for someone else.
See you very soon! #letsguide Marco
accessibility Accessibility-Champion
Check my Google Maps list of accessibility in NJ, U.S.A 
Access Ocean County: Guide to Access:sparkles:
I really you enjoyed it!
