Accessibility

Accessibility Information

Tracy Aviary values every guest who comes through our doors. We strive to create spaces and experiences that are engaging, educational, and most importantly, accessible to all. If you need assistance during your visit, our Guest Services staff will be happy to help you.

For more information about accessibility services and accommodations, please call Guest Services at 801-596-8500 or email our accessibility coordinator Kylee Ehmann.

Welcome to Tracy Aviary

  • Accessibility at Tracy Aviary Liberty Park
    Building Access
    • The following buildings are equipped with automated doors:
      • Visitors Center
      • Treasures of the Rainforest
      • South American Pavillion
    • Elevators are available at the Visitors Center and Bird Feeder Café.
    • Wheelchair-accessible seating is available in the Outdoor and Indoor Bird Show.  Staff members will happily assist you in finding a seat.

    Popular Times
    • Saturdays and Sundays are our busiest days.
    • Between the hours of 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. are our most popular times.
    • For the least busy times we would recommend a weekday morning.

    Mobility Devices
    • A limited number of manual wheelchairs are available to borrow in the Gift Shop on a first-come-first-served basis.
    • Wheelchairs (including manual or electric single-seat chairs and electric mobility seated scooters) and other mobility devices including walkers, crutches, canes, braces and other similar devices, are permitted in all public areas of the Aviary. Wagons and strollers are also welcome in the Aviary.
    • To ensure the safety of guests, staff, and birds at the Aviary, no other type of manually-operated or power-driven mobility devices are permitted. These include but are not limited to Segways, hoverboards, skateboards, bicycles, tricycles, and manual or electric scooters. If your mobility device is not permitted, please consider borrowing a manual wheelchair from our Gift Shop.

    Service Animals
    • Service animals are welcome on grounds, but must be checked in at the visitor center.
    • Service animals are allowed everywhere on grounds except for the Bird Show, Kennecott Wetlands Immersion Experience, Treasures of the Rainforest, Amazon Adventure, and Backyard Birds.
    • During your visit, be aware that you may encounter free-roaming peafowl and wild mallards. Because many of our birds participate in free flights and roaming encounters, we may ask you to wait momentarily in the visitor center before admittance while we clear the area of sensitive birds.
    • On a limited basis, other areas may be designated off-limits for service animals on a day-to-day basis, due to sensitive animal care concerns or special events programming.
    • Emotional support, therapy, or comfort animals, pets, and service animals in training cannot be admitted to the Aviary.
    • Please be considerate and remove any animal waste.
    • For more information concerning service animal regulations, please read Frequently Asked Questions about Service Animals and the ADA.

    Other Services

    Tracy Aviary strives to make our campus as accessible as possible for all.

    • Tracy Aviary is an Aira (include linked text) Access Partner, providing free on-demand visual interpretation for our blind and low-vision guests. Aira’s services can be accessed via their iOS and Android apps, and our Guest Services staff are available to answer any questions.
    • If you are looking to request interpreters for your visit, please contact Kylee Ehmann (kyleee@tracyaviary.org).
      • Requests for ASL interpreters must be made at least one week in advance of a visit, with two weeks preferred. If you are bringing your own interpreter during a visit, their admission is free

    Caregiver Admission

    Professional caregivers accompanying an individual or group of individuals with disabilities receive free daily admission.


    Learning Aids
    • Social stories are helpful pre-visit guides for guests with developmental disabilities or autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Tracy Aviary’s social story, Let’s Visit Tracy Aviary, introduces guests to a wide range of experiences at the Aviary, such as purchasing admission, attending a Bird Show, and visiting different types of exhibits. Copies of Let’s Visit Tracy Aviary are available in the Gift Shop; however, we recommend downloading and reviewing this resource prior to visiting.  Download our social story here.
    • Sensory backpacks are now available in the Gift Shop to borrow. They are filled with toys and tools to enhance the experience of guests with developmental disabilities or ASD, such as noise-canceling headphones, bird figurines, tangle toys, and more.

     

  • Accessibility at Nature Center at Pia Okwai
    Access on Grounds
    • There are 2 signed van accessible parking spaces with extra wide aisle/space for a ramp.
    • Our gates are kept closed during opening hours. If you need assistance entering the gates there is a button to push to alert a staff member.
    • A flat concrete sidewalk winds through the middle of the nature center. Other paths are made of paving stones and mulch and may be partially obstructed by vegetation or snow, depending on the season. Paths are at least 60 inches wide.
    • Restrooms are all-gender and include accessible stalls. Unfortunately, we do not have changing tables installed at this time, but you may request an adult-sized changing mat from our staff.
    • Our outdoor water fountain is equipped with a bottle filling station and is turned off during the winter.
    • The Visitor Center is accessible by stairs and by ramp, but is not equipped with automatic doors.

    Mobility Devices
    • In the future, we would love to provide manual wheelchairs for folks to use during their visit. However, we currently do not have one, so if you would like to donate a gently-used wheelchair, please email naturecenter@tracyaviary.org.
    • Wheelchairs (including manual or electric single seat chairs and electric mobility seated scooters) and other mobility devices including walkers, crutches, canes, braces and other similar devices, are permitted in all public areas of the nature center. Wagons and strollers are also welcome in the nature center.
    • Other types of manually-operated or power-driven mobility devices are also permitted, though are not permitted on the porch or inside the Visitor Center. These include but are not limited to Segways, hoverboards, skateboards, bicycles, tricycles, and manual or electric scooters.

    Service Animals
    • Service animals are welcome on grounds, including within the Visitor Center.
    • Emotional support, therapy, or comfort animals, pets, and service animals in training are welcome on grounds but are not permitted within the Visitor Center unless approved by the manager.
    • Please be considerate and remove any animal waste.
    • For more information concerning service animal regulations, please read Frequently Asked Questions about Service Animals and the ADA.

    Access on the Jordan River Trail
    • The Jordan River Trail is an approximately 50 mile trail that runs along the Jordan River traveling from the northwestern corner of Utah Lake north through Salt Lake City. A portion of the Jordan River Trail can be accessed at the Nature Center.
    • It is an asphalt trail that is approximately 60 inches wide.
    • The trail is well-maintained. It is plowed in winter, grassy surfaces are mown frequently, and vegetation next to the trail is pruned.
    • The trail slopes are no steeper than a 5% gradient.
    • Benches are infrequent.
    • Joggers, cyclists, and horses also utilize this trail.
    • Learn more about accessibility on the trail here.
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