Maggie L. Walker National Historical Site and Richmond National Battlefield Park in Richmond, Virginia will soon participate in a full accessibility assessment conducted by the National Center on Accessibility program at the Eppley Institute.
Eppley will collaborate with the National Park Service to advance accessibility for persons with disabilities at these two locations. The Maggie L. Walker National Historic Site celebrates the life and accomplishments of Maggie Walker, a businesswoman who lived during the turn of the century. Ms. Walker was the first woman to own a bank and the first African American to serve as a bank president. Ms. Walker’s impact is far reaching and has advanced civil rights, increased educational opportunities, and empowered many. A visitor’s center, exhibit hall, and her historic home make up the site in the Jackson Ward neighborhood of Richmond, VA.
The Richmond National Battlefield Park is about 100 miles south of Washington DC and spans 80 miles through Richmond, Hanover County, Henrico County and Chesterfield County. Among the battlefield and historic sites, the park highlights Tredegar Iron Works, the Chimborazo Hospital site and the 1864 battle which resulted in the capture of Fort Harrison by Union forces.
Members of the Eppley Institute’s assessment team, led by Colleen Durkin-Blackburn, Senior Program Manager of Accessibility and Park Planning, will be onsite for a week to capture the status of physical and programmatic accessibility at these important locations in American history. The project will bring improvements to all visitor experiences at these two sites at these locations.