by Kathy Wechsler

"I use a wheelchair, but my heart is at the top of the most rugged crag or the bottom of the deepest canyon," says Dianna Smith of Boulder City, Nev. Found to have limb-girdle muscular dystrophy in 1960, she says her love for the outdoors is only intensified by her disability.

A Walk in the Park

A retired computer analyst, Smith, 53, spends most of her time spreading the word about the importance of making national parks accessible to people with disabilities. A power wheelchair user, Smith has teamed up with her husband, Bruce, to improve trail accessibility at Lake Mead National Recreation Area, operated by the National Park Service near her town at the southern end of Nevada. Bruce, a park service volunteer, spent several years building a greenhouse at Lake Mead.

"As we would try to use the area, there were many obstacles," Smith said. "Boulders on the trails to discourage ATVs also prohibit access to those using chairs. Trails with gates and narrow walkways around the gates dont allow chairs through, and picnic tables with no cutouts pose a problem for wheelchair users."

Admitting the need for improvement, park officials asked the couple to conduct a survey to find potential issues affecting accessibility. After three years of volunteering their time to assess the park, which is covered by the accessibility provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, they were able to provide the national recreation area with the necessary information to receive significant grant money for ADA improvements.

"The job has just begun," said Smith, who presented her findings on park accessibility in 2000. "The funds have been awarded, but its easy for the money to be redirected within the system."

Smith encourages people with disabilities to get involved and have a voice in the nations accessibility laws. For more information on federal accessibility policy, go to www.access-board.gov.

A Woman With a Mission

"I have been an advocate for many years the cause changing depending upon the phase of my life," said Smith.

"We are just as responsible to make a contribution to our world as anyone else who walks down the street. We are all in this world together," she added.

While living in Salt Lake City, Smith helped clean up Decker Lake, reclaiming the former 300-acre wetlands that had become an urban dumping ground. She coordinated thousands of volunteer hours and worked with city, state and county agencies.

Aside from her environmental crusades, Smith has advocated for education and childrens rights as well as equal pay for women. Shes also created awareness of domestic violence. Abused by her first two husbands, Smith understands the vulnerability of a woman with a disability and the importance of strength and self-confidence.

As a member of the board of the Utah Independent Living Center in Salt Lake City, Smith was in charge of gathering resources and mentoring some clients on issues such as employment, transportation and being a single parent who uses a wheelchair.

LGMD has had a significant effect on Smiths life since childhood. She had a pronounced limp as a teenager and used a wheelchair in college.

"The fact that my muscles are weaker, that the disease is far more advanced, that doesnt stop my passion for life," said Smith, who received MDAs Personal Achievement Award for Nevada in 2003.

"I wake up and absolutely bask in the suns warmth, or thrill at the experience of a lizard crossing my path and stopping to look up at me. Life is so grand and each moment is so priceless," she said.

More on the To-Do List

Smith single-handedly raised her now adult daughter, Michele, at the same time maintaining a career while using a wheelchair.

"The world will not make itself accessible unless we are out there doing our part to make the world a better place," said Smith, who attends the MDA clinic in Las Vegas. Smith has appeared at a variety of MDA special events in Utah and Nevada, where she used her experience in public speaking to help raise public awareness of accessibility issues.

She plans to publish a book about trail accessibility and dedicate it to a friend and associate, David Challed, who had ALS. Theyd planned to co-author the book, but Challed died in 2003. Smith especially values the time she spends with others.

"Every person I touch, who sees me as a person who uses my chair in the same way they use their shoes, begins to understand that my wants and desires, my passions and enthusiasm for life are similar to theirs," Smith said. "It lets them see that no matter a persons physical ability, we all need access to sharing life with those who are important to us."