Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility

Diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility are fundamental principles of Ford House, where access to the estate and experiences are offered without regard to an individual’s abilities, perspectives, and varied experiences.

INCLUSION

Ford House ensures that our interns, staff, and volunteers demonstrate cultural sensitivity and competence. Our community events, programs, and tours aim to reflect and respond to diverse cultures, interests, and the needs of our regional communities.

DIVERSITY

Ford House prioritizes diversity across all dimensions, including our vision, mission, strategic goals, leadership structure, audiences, community partners, programs, vendors, and staff, to uplift us all. Embracing difference makes us better colleagues, employers, employees, friends, leaders, learners, researchers, students, teachers, and citizens.

EQUITY

Ford House is committed to challenging, responding to, and rectifying habits and traditions of bias, harassment, and discrimination and developing a reputation for inclusion, warmth, and hospitality. We prioritize equity across all dimensions of our organization through our staffing, selection of vendors, variety of partners, outreach, and access to programs and events.

ACCESSIBILITY

Ford House ensures that our interns, staff, and volunteers demonstrate cultural competence and that our programs and tours reflect and respond to our regional communities’ diverse cultures, interests, and needs. We strive to provide fair accessibility to programs, resources, and assets and ensure equitable experiences for all interns, staff, volunteers, and the public we serve.

Why Are Some Areas of the Estate Not Accessible For Individuals with Mobility Challenges?

Due to the estate’s historical nature, many of its buildings are not accessible to individuals with mobility challenges. Elevators are not available in these buildings, meaning that visitors must be able to climb stairs to view certain areas.

While Ford House has some paved walkways that are wheelchair accessible, many of our garden pathways have uneven ground, pebble paths, and a few stairs, making them challenging for some guests. Our historic buildings do not have automatic openers, which can challenge access in some spaces.

Wheelchairs, Walkers, Scooters, and Strollers

Wheelchairs, walkers, scooters, and strollers larger than 30 inches in width are not allowed in our historical buildings due to navigability and space limitations. No elevator is available to the second floor of the Main Residence, which will limit wheelchair, walker, scooter, and stroller access. Due to safety concerns, visitors cannot carry these items to the second floor of the Main Residence. Complimentary storage can be provided for these items while you are on a tour.

Are Guided Tours Accessible?

In general, guided tours of the estate are not accessible to individuals with mobility challenges because they include long periods of walking without rest, stairs, uneven ground, and pebble paths. Mobility-friendly/Accessible tours for individuals can be arranged in advance by contacting info@fordhouse.org. Mobility-friendly/Accessible tours for groups can be arranged in advance by contacting Ford House’s Group Tours Coordinator at grouptours@fordhouse.org.

General Tips

• The walk from the Visitor Center to the Main Residence is approximately 1/4 mile. Please note that some of our garden pathways have uneven ground, pebble paths, and a few stairs.
• Shuttle service with a lift is available (except on large-scale estate events like Little Goblins, Home for the Holidays at Ford House, etc.).
  • Guests may board the shuttle at one of three locations:
    • Visitor Center
    • Main Residence
    • Gate Lodge
• Wheelchairs and umbrella strollers are available free of charge on a first-come, first-serve basis.
• Benches are located throughout the property should you need a rest.
• Family restrooms are available in the Visitor Center and Main Residence.
• The second floor, attic, and basement of the Main Residence are not accessible by wheelchair or stroller. However, we offer a mobile tour via tablet for visitors who cannot reach these floors. 
• Properly trained service animals are welcome. Other pets and emotional support animals are not allowed on the property.
• Guests with sensory needs are welcome to enjoy our tranquil Quiet Room on the second floor of the Visitor Center. You may ask any staff member for assistance.
  • A social story is a narrative used to help individuals with sensory needs, particularly those on the autism spectrum, understand and navigate social situations, routines, or expectations. These stories are designed to provide clear, concise, and visually-supported descriptions of what to expect and how to respond in specific scenarios, helping to reduce anxiety and improve social skills. Social stories can be tailored to address various sensory sensitivities, offering coping strategies and promoting a sense of security and predictability.
  • Download a PDF of our social story here.

These principles of diversity, inclusion, equity, and accessibility apply to all aspects of Ford House operations across all categories of individuals. Individuals should be able to experience Ford House free from biased or demeaning conduct or statements based on their personal characteristics.

To achieve all this, our Inclusion/Diversity/Equity/Accessibility (I.D.E.A.) committee develops action plans that create policies and implement side-wide training, build partnerships with individuals, businesses, and organizations that share our cultural values while telling fuller, more complex, and more relevant stories.