Fort Yargo State Park in Winder in Barrow County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
Will-A-Way Recreation Area
Photographed by Jarrod Parker, July 23, 2023
1. Will-A-Way Recreation Area Marker
Inscription.
Will-A-Way Recreation Area. . Completed in 1971, Will-A-Way Recreational Area was the nation's first comprehensive outdoor recreational facility designed for people with disabilities. Beginning in 1966, the Georgia Department of State Parks met with multiple agencies to develop a recreation area that would eliminate the physical and psychological barriers experienced by people with disabilities. The state selected Fort Yargo State Park as the site for the recreational area due to its proximity to a large percentage of Georgia's population. Created through matching and federal funds, Will-A-Way consisted of a day-use area, group camp, and family cabins. Nearly 20 years before the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) requiring equal rights for people with disabilities, Will-A-Way served as a model for states seeking to build more inclusive recreational areas.
Completed in 1971, Will-A-Way Recreational Area was the nation's first comprehensive outdoor recreational facility designed for people with disabilities. Beginning in 1966, the Georgia Department of State Parks met with multiple agencies to develop a recreation area that would eliminate the physical and psychological barriers experienced by people with disabilities. The state selected Fort Yargo State Park as the site for the recreational area due to its proximity to a large percentage of Georgia's population. Created through matching and federal funds, Will-A-Way consisted of a day-use area, group camp, and family cabins. Nearly 20 years before the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (1990) requiring equal rights for people with disabilities, Will-A-Way served as a model for states seeking to build more inclusive recreational areas.
Erected 2022 by Georgia Historical Society and Camp Twin Lakes. (Marker Number 7-2.)
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Parks & Recreational Areas. A significant historical year for this entry is 1971.
Location. 33° 58.754′ N, 83° 44.001′ W. Marker is
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in Winder, Georgia, in Barrow County. It is in Fort Yargo State Park. It is on Cottage Lane east of Fort Yargo Road, in the median. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Winder GA 30680, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Georgia’s Classic City Area, in the Piedmont, and in Metro Atlanta. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Credits. This page was last revised on April 12, 2024. It was originally submitted on July 25, 2023, by Jarrod Parker of Statham, Georgia. This page has been viewed 361 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos:1. submitted on July 25, 2023, by Jarrod Parker of Statham, Georgia. 2. submitted on April 12, 2024, by Darren Jefferson Clay of Duluth, Georgia. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
