Closure Averted by Manuel Antonio National Park

One of the largest tourist destinations in Costa Rica was recently under threat of being closed for failure to follow the law. Under the Costa Rican law 7600, all national parks are required to be accessible to individuals with disabilities. Manuel Antonio National Park, located in Aguirre, Puntarenas was given 15 days to get in compliance with the law or be closed by the Health Ministry. While the park did have bathrooms for individuals with disabilities, there were no other facilities.

Manuel Antonio National Park is one of the most visited parks in Costa Rica, by both national and international visitors. In order to meet legal requirements, the park was required to install a trail that offered universal access that included handrails located on both sides of the trail. While the trees in the park were labeled with informative signs, those signs were also required to be translated as well as written in Braille to enable blind visitors to enjoy the park.

The required changes became mandatory following complaints against the park and its lack of accessibility. According to park visitors, it was difficult to bring wheelchairs into the park. The park reported that staff was responsible for transporting visitors with special needs from the entrance of the park to the beach. Unfortunately, many visitors remained unaware of this.

Since the beginning of the year, the park had been receiving funds for improvements in infrastructure. Funding was received from the Inter-American Development Bank. Manuel Antonio Park made assurances that it would be legally compliant by August and worked with the Health Ministry to ensure it would not be closed.