On September 13, 2022, Lakshmee Lachhman-Persad, her sister Annie, and their family did something they have done many times before: they spent a day at The New York Botanical Garden. However, on this particular day, the family made their pilgrimage to the Garden not just as guests, but as collaborators with NYBG’s Public Programming and Volunteer Services departments to present a program designed for people with disabilities.

Lakshmee is the founder of Accessible Travel NYC, an online resource for people with disabilities to find accessible information within the travel and tourism ecosystem. With assistance from representatives of the ADAPT Community Network (formerly UCP), Accessible Travel NYC created the Hidden Gems activity (the structure of which is reminiscent of an Easter egg hunt, though without the possibility of forgotten eggs). The Hidden Gems activity featured rocks hand-painted by Annie and Natalie Reichel, Art Specialist with ADAPT, that were then hidden in the Perennial Garden for the 30 participants to find.

Photos by Marlon Co Photography