The National Park Service (NPS) initiated the National Accessibility Achievement Award Program in 1998 to recognize outstanding accomplishments that result in greater opportunities for persons with disabilities within the NPS.
In October 2005, Cabrillo National Monument was recognized for our efforts in using tactile models and wayside exhibits to help accomplish our mission and forge connections between visitors of all abilities. Special recognition was given to the park Superintendent and Chief of Interpretation for their long-term dedication and commitment to universal design and equal opportunity.
National Park Service Director Fran Mainella stated, “Cabrillo’s accomplishments are not only creative and original; they are an outstanding example of providing effective communications to an extremely diverse audience, including those who have a visual limitation.”
Located in the seventh largest city in the country, Cabrillo National Monument is near a diverse population of over 1.4 million people and draws nearly a million visitors annually. Over the past several years, we have strived to remove structural and non-structural barriers for persons with hearing, visual, cognitive, and mobility impairments.
After evaluating the needs of visitors and the need to make emotional and intellectual connections between the resources and visitors, the park has designed, fabricated, and installed a variety of tactile models that effectively tell the stories with minimum words. The first tactile model installed was a bronze sculpture of a gray whale and calf, which was mounted at the Whale Overlook. Gray whales migrate past Cabrillo each December through February on their way to the calving lagoons in Baja, California, and can be seen from the Monument. This model gives all visitors a sense of the size, shape, and characteristics of these marine mammals.