This leads me to the point of the necessity for training for all rangers about what supplies they need to have with them, such as syringes and insulin for Type 1 Diabetics.

It doesn’t stop there though, there are so many different invisible disabilities. These invisible disabilities can affect different people completely differently even if they have the same disability. Invisible disabilities are physical, mental, or neurological conditions that can limit or challenge a person’s movements, senses, or activities. This can greatly affect what people can do in the park and how their park experience is as a whole.

I visited Harpers Ferry National Park in hopes of getting a disability pass before enjoying the park, unfortunately due to staffing issues that was not a possibility at that time, and I had to obtain my pass at a later date. Luckily, I had the means to get my visit at the park that day as planned still, not everyone has this ability due to the financial drain a disability of any kind can cause, due to the frequent medical visits and extremely high prescription costs of things like insulin.

When I went to visit Harpers Ferry National Park my blood sugar went low. Luckily, I had snacks on me, and was able to get my blood sugar to come back up. Sometimes people forget snacks or don’t have enough. It’s always important to be on the lookout for visitors acting strangely or laying down. A Type One Diabetic could pass out from low sugar and quick action can save their life. Also, be mindful that low blood sugar and high blood sugar can make people act strangely. Try to open a line of dialog to access the situation quickly and carefully to help the person in the best way for them as everyone is different.

Agency: National Park Service

Program: Harpers Ferry Center Program

Location: Harpers Ferry Center for Media Services