The Peak District National Park authority sets out to ensure that all people can visit and enjoy the park, including those who are disabled. The park has set about helping disabled visitors in a number of ways which include providing special parking spaces, disabled toilets as well as specially paved paths which are suitable for wheelchair users. The Peak District Park authority also allows blue badge holders to park for free in all of its onsite car parks.
Former Paralympian John Harris has taken part in ten short films which help highlight how disabled visitors can use the Peak District. The films show how the park can be accessed by people using Wheelchairs, powered scooters, and hand-cranked bikes.
Those who are not able to explore the park on foot can also see some of the sites from the comfort of a bus. Scenic Derbyshire Tours runs buses with 16 seats which can accommodate the disabled as well as older people. These schemes are also cost-effective as they are run by registered charities.
One of the specific accessible Peak District trails is the Upper Derwent Valley Trail. This trail begins at Fairholmes Car Park, which is close to Derwent in the Hope Valley. The trail itself spans 18 miles around two reservoirs, the Derwent and Howden and the Ladybower. There is a cycle hire center at Fairholmes which offers both cycles adapted for disabled people as well as a mobility scooter. Standard bikes can also be hired. The trail itself offers visitors excellent views of a mixture of different terrains from open moorland to farms. The reservoirs were also used during World War 2 as training grounds for those participating in the Dambuster raids. In total, the Peak District has 64 miles of trails which are accessible to those with disabilities.