Accessibility at Duke Farms

Duke Farms is a KultureCity Sensory Inclusive™ certified venue.

KultureCity is the nation’s leading nonprofit organization on sensory accessibility and acceptance for those with invisible disabilities.
Sensory needs are a common medical condition in which the brain has trouble receiving and responding to information that comes in through the senses.
One in four individuals has a sensory need or an invisible disability such as PTSD, autism, or dementia.

As a Sensory Inclusive™ certified venue:

• 100% of visitor-facing staff have been trained and certified by KultureCity.
• Signage is posted to help those with sensory needs effectively navigate the campus.
• “Headphone Zone” signs, which indicate areas that may be overstimulating, are displayed in the Farm Barn Orientation Center and Café.
• Duke Farms provides visitors with access to Sensory Inclusive™ Bags, which contain tools to help lessen sensory overload and allow users to engage more effectively with caretakers and staff.
  These tools include noise-canceling headphones, sunglasses, weighted lap pads, communication cards, fidget tools, and identification lanyards.
  Sensory Inclusive™ Bags can be borrowed free of charge in the Farm Barn Orientation Center.

Accessible parking spaces are available in the main parking lot. The majority of trails (over 15 miles in total) are flat, paved, and more than 36 inches in width. Trails leading through meadows and certain wooded areas, such as Research Woods, are not paved, but are, instead, grass, gravel, or crushed red or blue stone; additionally, they may be uneven and/or less than 36 inches in width. 

• You can use the map here to find out which paths are not paved; unpaved paths are depicted as dotted lines. Paper versions of the property map are available in the Farm Barn Orientation Center. 
• You can visit Duke Farms on AllTrails  to learn more about the elevation of certain paths. 

Please note: 

• Duke Farms does not treat its paths with de-icing chemicals or salt in the winter, the only exception being the path leading to the front entrance of the Farm Barn. This is both to preserve the ecological integrity of the site and to give visitors the opportunity to cross-country ski and snowshoe. Therefore, the general accessibility of the paths during/following inclement weather events cannot be guaranteed. 

The Farm Barn Orientation Center has the following:  

• A flat, concrete path leading to the front entrance. 
• Benches positioned along the path leading to the front entrance. One bench has arm rests and a back rest, one bench has a back rest but no arm rests, and two benches have no arm rests or back rests. 
• Automatic door openers for both sets of doors at the front entrance.
• Accessible stalls in restrooms and a private, universal restroom. 
• Paper maps, an enlarged version of the map, and informational brochures.
• The Orientation Center is in a large, open room with a flat, stone floor. It can become loud and/or crowded, especially on Saturdays. 
• At the Front Desk: KultureCity Sensory Inclusive™ Bags, which contain tools to help lessen sensory overload and allow those using them to engage more effectively with caretakers and Duke Farms staff. These tools include noise-canceling headphones, sunglasses, weighted lap pads, communication cards, fidget tools, and identification lanyards. KultureCity Sensory Inclusive™ Bags can be reserved for free. 
• Indoor access to the Gallery, Classroom, and Café. 
• Please note: The paths leading to the outdoor entrances of the Classroom and the Café are gravel. 

• The Farm Barn Cafe is located in the lower level of the Farm Barn Orientation Center in a large, open room with a flat, stone floor. 
• The tables and chairs can be moved. 
• Paper and digital menus are available.
• The Café can become loud and/or crowded on, especially on Saturdays. There is a KultureCity “Headphone Zone” sign posted on the wall near the indoor entrance, indicating that the Café may be an area that overloads one’s senses. See the section “KultureCity: Sensory Inclusive™ Bags and Signage” for more information. 

Please note: 

• The path leading to the outdoor entrance of the Café is gravel. 
• The surface of the outdoor dining area of the Café is gravel

• The Orchid Range is one mile, or about 20 minutes’ travel, from the Farm Barn Orientation Center. It cannot be accessed by car. The path to the Orchid Range is flat, paved, and more than 36 inches in width. 
• The side entrance of the Orchid Range has an automatic door opener. The path leading to this entrance is flat, concrete, and more than 36 inches in width. 
• The Orchid Range has Men’s and Women’s restrooms, each with an accessible stall. The path leading to the restrooms is flat, concrete, and more than 36 inches in width. 
• The path leading through the Orchid Range is almost entirely concrete. Certain sections are wooden board; one of these sections cannot be navigated by wheelchair and may be difficult to navigate using other mobility aids, but because the layout of the path is circular, this section can be avoided. 
• There are sections along the path to turn a mobility aid around. 
• The Orchid Range can become loud and/or crowded, especially on Saturdays.
• Please note: While the Orchid Range is ADA accessible, the growing houses attached to the Orchid Range are not. 

Duke Farms offers a free, round trip Accessibility Transport service for individuals with limited mobility from the Farm Barn Orientation Center to the Orchid Range. Reservations are required. Availability and information can be found on the reservation page by clicking here.

• The descriptions of outdoor classes/programs contain information about the conditions to be expected, distance to be traveled, and types of paths to be utilized. 
• Voice amplifiers can be requested to be used by instructors with five (5) days’ notice. 
• American Sign Language interpreters can be retained with ten (10) days’ notice.  
• KultureCity Sensory Inclusive™ Bags, which contain tools to help lessen sensory overload and allow those using them to engage more effectively with caretakers and Duke Farms staff, can be reserved for free at the Front Desk. See the section “KultureCity: Sensory Inclusive™ Bags and Signage” for more information. 
• Concerning indoor classes/programs: 
  • The chairs in the Classroom do not have arm rests, but chairs with arm rests can be provided with one (1) days’ notice. 
  • The tables and chairs in the Classroom can be rearranged with two (2) days’ notice. 
  • Assistive listening devices (ALDs) are available with five (5) days’ notice. 

If you are participating in a class or program and would like one or more of the accommodations listed, email registrations@dorisduke.org. 

A section of the Community Garden is reserved for gardeners who use mobility aids. 

• This section has its own entrance with a low gate handle/lock; two paved accessible parking spaces are beside it. 
• There are eleven (11) raised beds that have been built atop a level surface of ADA-compliant paving stones. These beds are specifically designed to allow for wheelchair access and navigation. 
• Men’s and Women’s composting toilets, outfitted with a large ramp and landing pad, are located beside the beds. 

To learn more about the Community Garden, please visit the Community Garden webpage or email cg@dukefarms.org. 

• Farm Barn Orientation Center: The restrooms at the Farm Barn Orientation Center are in the building, in a large vestibule with a brick floor. The Women’s restroom, as well as a universal restroom, are to the left of the Farm Barn’s front entrance; the Men’s restroom is to the right. The Men’s and Women’s restrooms each have an accessible stall. The universal restroom is private and has an automatic door opener.
• Orchid Range: The restrooms at the Orchid Range are outside of the building. The path leading to the Orchid Range restrooms is flat, concrete, and more than 36 inches in width. The Men’s and Women’s restrooms each have an accessible stall as well as an automatic door opener. 
• Bike Rental: The restrooms at the Bike Rental are in the building across from the Bike Rental; this building is labeled “Education Cottage” on the campus map. A wooden ramp leads to the side entrance; this entrance has a small stone lip that may make it difficult for people using mobility aid, such as a wheelchair, to enter. The Men’s and Women’s restrooms each have an accessible stall. 

• Composting Toilets: 
  • Intersection of Nursery Way and Oak Way – The path to this composting toilet is crushed blue stone. It leads to a cement ramp with a landing pad situated in front of the toilet’s entrance. 
  • Intersection of Oak Way and West Way – The path to this composting toilet is crushed red stone. It leads to a small set of wooden stairs situated in front of the toilet’s entrance. 
  • West Way, near the Mermaid Pool – The path to this composting toilet is crushed red stone. It leads to a metal ramp with a landing pad situated in front of the toilet’s entrance. IMPORTANT NOTE: The grade of the immediate area is too steep to permit most wheelchairs and may be a hinderance to those using other mobility aids. 
  • Old Foundation – The path to this composting toilet is gravel. It leads to a metal ramp with a landing pad situated in front of the toilet’s entrance. 
  • Arboretum – This composting toilet is located directly beside a paved path. There is a slight dip in the pavement as it leads to the toilet’s entrance.