A new trail at Letchworth State Park will soon start construction and this trail is inclusive for all.

The Autism Nature Trail will provide an interactive experience in nature, designed specifically for people with autism and other developmental disabilities.  

It will be a one-mile trail, comprised of eight different stations. Each station offers something different, from a sensory station to a reflection point. It's 100 percent ADA complaint, so everybody is able to enjoy it.

The co-chair for this project, Loren Penman, says they've raised a total of $2.6 million of a $3.7 million dollar budget. They started this project six years ago and Penman says the one-mile loop is now walk-able, but they hope to begin construction of the stations sometime this fall and have everything operational by spring 2021.

"We would love to see the first part of October be the launch. That would give us a couple of good months before weather starts to slow us down.  If you live in WNY, you know it's unpredictable at best. But it is the kind of construction that can go as long as 6 feet of snow does not impede us," said Penman.

The trail is something parent Julia Derkovitz is excited about. She says she was looking up different things for kids with autism to do during the pandemic and came across the trail. She says this trail will make a difference for her son Andrew, who is a person with austim.  

"I think what makes it the most special is just knowing that people are thinking like this now and making hiking and just different places more inclusive," said Derkovitz.

This is a privately funded venture in a New York state park. Donations can still be made now.

People can head to AutismNatureTrail.com for more information.