One man’s work to help people with disabilities
“It wasn’t for me. It was for other people. And I wanted it to be a safe place for people with disabilities.”
Those were the words of Danny Markel as upgrades to the Petroleum Valley Youth Center summer camp were showcased Sunday during a ribbon-cutting at the site in Chicora.
The upgrades include a wheelchair-accessible restroom with a shower, stone paths that provide entry to an arbor near the parking lot, and a deck that offers staggering vistas surrounding it.
The project cost an estimated $65,000.
Markel, who has muscular dystrophy and relies on a wheelchair for mobility, has been a director at the center for the past five years.
He is driven to make the world a more accessible place and allow children with disabilities to have the opportunity to enjoy nature and “have fun in life.”
But Markel’s work has just begun. He has applied for a grant from the Christopher and Dana Reeve Foundation to further expand access for disabled people. Christopher Reeve, who starred in the “Superman” movies, had his acting career cut short when he broke his neck when he was thrown from a horse during an equestrian competition in Virginia in 1995. The injury paralyzed him from the shoulders down, and he used a wheelchair and ventilator until he died in 2004 at age 52. His foundation has raised millions of dollars to help people with disabilities.
“No matter where you go, when you have a disability ... you have to plan everything, no matter where you’re going, whether you’re going to a wedding or a restaurant,” said his mother, Sheila Markel. “You just have to plan ahead for everything. And the more places that are handicapped-accessible, the better for the entire world.”
If successful, Danny hopes to use the funds from the Reeve grant to create a disability-accessible fishing pier along the summer camp’s pond, so everyone can more comfortably enjoy fishing there.
“Since I’m disabled, I thought I would be a good spokesperson for that,’ Markel said Sunday.
He certainly is.
– JGG
