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INDEPENDENT LIVING CENTER


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Mobility user on boardwalk overlooking Homer Harbor


This website is for locals & travelers of Homer, AK. We emphasize information, recreation & leisure activities for those experiencing disabilities in Homer.


Mobility user entering boardwalk at Wynn Nature Center

Welcome to accessible* Homer, AK

accessible Homer, Alaska Logo

Accessible Homer is for slow walkers, wheelchair riders, folks with limited vision, and others experiencing a disability. We’ve tried to compile information to help you enjoy Homer’s many offerings—on your own or with friends and family. 


What is accessible*?

accessible* means different things in different contexts. If a place meets standards of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), we note that. If it's working in that direction but not yet there, we describe (or show in photos or videos) the conditions you'll find. That way, YOU can decide if it's accessible to YOU. We include contact information so you can discuss expectations and needs.

For current guidelines on the Americans with Disabilties Act (ADA):

ADA Guidelines


This website is maintained by the
TRAILS inclusive recreation program at Homer's Independent Living Center.

Total Recreation And
Independent Living Services

TRAILS promotes inclusive recreational and leisure activities on the southern Kenai Peninsula. We want folks who love travel and adventure to find what they’re looking for here in the Homer area—a fun and beautiful place we love to share.

Contact Homer's Independent Living Center @ 907-235-7911 to find out what adaptive equipment is available for use by visitors to Homer.

TRAILS Webpage


Beautiful view of Homer Spit.

Homer is an incredible place to live or visit--and that should be true for everyBODY!  In fact, Homer's stunning setting--perched on the shores of Kachemak Bay--along with: its spectacular outdoor recreation, great places to stay, delicious offerings at cafes and restaurants, world-class fishing, diverse and innovative farming, active art community, variety of businesses promoting wellness and more make it the go-to destination for folks with disabilities who want a wonderful Alaskan experience.  This website--a work in progress--is intended to help everyBODY enjoy all the wonders and enjoyment that can be found in Homer and around Kachemak Bay.

The Homer area offers many ways to enjoy satisfying activities, beautiful surroundings and inclusive recreation. Places to visit range from; the ADA accessible Islands & Ocean Visitor Center and Pratt Museum, wheelchair-friendly trails, boat tours of Kachemak Bay, charming shops and art galleries, delicious places to eat, and comfy places to stay. The two tables accessed below should help you find what you're looking for.


Do you need directions to Homer?

Getting to Homer


The accessible* Homer Playlist on YouTube shows videos of wheelchair users visiting places around our beautiful town!

accessible*, Homer
YouTube Playlist


To suggest 
additions or changes to information on this website, please email Devony at:

THANK YOU!


How to use accessible* Homer

CLICK a choice below to find places and activities in Homer and information about their accessibility.

The BLUE BUTTON on the Left is a list of activities & business's by KIND of service they provide.
(e.g. restaurants, camping, trails, art galleries, bicycle rentals, scenic drives, museums, kayaking boardwalks, etc.)

The RED BUTTON on the Right is a list of business's by NAME of the business.
(e.g. Islands and Ocean Visitor Center, Homer Public Library, Pratt Museum, Halibut Cove, etc.)


Blue Button for KIND of business


Red Button for NAME of business


Would you like to be added to our list of accessible businesses? Contact TRAILS at Independent Living Center! The sticker above is the accessible* Homer window sticker. If you'd like a window sticker in you business, click below:

How to Get the
accessible* Homer sticker



If your business has a website, you can develop your content for accessibility, including descriptions and photos. Then TRAILS can add a link going straight to that content. If you'd like guidance on improving accessibility, view the resources we've collected to improve access, including examples and ideas from Homer businesses and venues below.

Ideas for Improving Access Page


If an offering doesn’t meet ADA standards but is working towards that goal, we describe what you’ll find. 
There are also links to help better understand ADA Title III requirements that businesses should meet in order to be compliant with the American's with Disabilities Act.

ADA Title III Regulations Page


This website is a work in progress.  Businesses, locations,

and activities are added as we learn about them and their accessibility.  We rely on businesses and vendors to provide us information about their access conditions.  We also post “accessible* Homer” videos so YOU can decide whether you're comfortable, for example, being lifted by friends or willing staff onto a boat or helped over a threshold or down a trail or across a beach.


If you are concerned about the safety of a vulnerable person you can report your concern to the Alaska Senior and Disabilities Services Centralized Reporting Unit.  These reports go to the appropriate state agency or agencies to investigate.  These include Adult Protective Services, The Long Term Care Ombudsman, Occupational Licensing and the Office of Children's Services.  Click on the link below for

Centralized Reporting


You can contribute to ILC when you shop at Amazon.com!  Follow the link below to set up your Amazon Smile account to support our non profit when you make purchases!

Amazon Smile


The Independent Living Center is a 501c3 non-profit organization. We need your support to maintain our efforts over such a large area!

Contribute
to ILC



Log into My Alaska and Pick, Click  & Give to ILC when you apply for your PFD!

Pick.Click.Give

More information about the Homer area

Links for exploring Homer online

To learn about the Homer area, click on the links below.

Homer Chamber of Commerce

City of Homer

City of Homer Community Recreation Guide

City resolution to become Universally Accessible

City of Homer ADA Compliance

City of Homer Parks and Recreation

Kachemak Bay Water Trail

Shorezone click start button and then zoom to Homer on map

The Milepost magazine This annual publication lists sites and destinations found at particular mileposts on all of Alaska's highways

 

No pictures to show

 


More information about accessible travel

Links to online resources for folks traveling with disabilities

accessibleGO --"Making travel more accessible, together;" this website offers discounts, describes destinations, provides reviews, offers a way to review businesses yourself, and more.  They even have a section where anyone can share their travel recommendations, experiences, or knowledge; and if you would like, accessibleGO will find you lodgings with specific kinds of accommodations.  Click here to see their basic list of accessibility rating categories for lodgings.

NCHPAD (National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability)--Founded in 1999, NCHPAD provides information on physical activity, health promotion, and disability in order to promote "building healthy inclusive communities."

TravAbility -- Specialist travel agency for inclusive travel and advocates for accessible tourism.

TravelAbility Insider -- an online magazine with articles about traveling with a disability, co-sponsor of 2019 TravelAbility Summit: "A first-ever gathering of travel industry professionals with product and service innovators dedicated to improving travel experiences for individuals with physical, visual, auditory and cognitive disabilities."

WheelchairTravel --"resources to help you plan a wheelchair-accessible vacation"




No photos
Updated on: Friday, July 01, 2022

Below are rating categories that accessibleGO uses to rate lodgings and related places:


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