Find YOUR path
How ASCENT is being developed
Simple, reliable, meaning-ful & evolving scales help walkers find the trail right for them. Read more.
Helps meet health goals using our research-based Progressive Access framework. Read more.
Helps park managers and funders prioritize trail & other improvements to increase access. Read more.
Check out the Overview of the ASCENT Rating System HERE.
General Considerations
The design of ASCENT is driven by the need for ratings that are meaningful
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An A Rating is consistent with UA Standards, the baseline recognized as facilitating access for all users regardless of the type of level of disability.
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Thresholds for increasing levels of Trail Stress are selected to help people with disabilities take their first steps on natural trails, and then over time select incrementally more challenging trails to build their fitness, skills, and confidence
The design of ASCENT is also driven by the need for ratings that are as simple as possible because this makes it easier for
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Raters to complete the survey as quickly and as reliably as possible
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Walkers to confidently visualize how difficult a trail might be when they are setting goals or planning an outing
Ratings are evolving through pilot work,
increasing the miles and range of trails identified
Rating scales are gradually developed through 6 phases demonstrating their reliability, feasibility and usefulness in a targeted region - in this case, in Chester County).
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A survey identifying accessible facilities and points of interest in parks and preserves that include a paved path at least one mile long rated A or better is virtually completed, and suggest gaps in access that improved natural trails can help to close.
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Identifying paths at least one-half mile long across the county will establish a baseline for tracking growth in accessibility: the number of miles of paths/trails meeting UA standards.
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Piloting the ASCENT system on B trails will provide data on the reliability of the ratings and screen existing trails for inclusion in later phases
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Drafting maps and descriptions to capture the variability in Trail Effort and Stress.
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Integrating the above will help create the first comprehensive Chester County Outdoor Access Guide for more widespread distribution, and more detailed planning.
This opening at PennDell Trail is 1/2 inches too narrow to accommodate a wheelchair, barring users from a walk that otherwise meets all standards.