---
kind: "section"
citation: "42 U.S.C. § 12207"
title: "42"
title_heading: "The Public Health and Welfare"
number: "12207"
heading: "Federal wilderness areas"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/42/12207"
units:
  - "Chapter 126 — Equal Opportunity for Individuals with Disabilities"
  - "Subchapter IV — Miscellaneous Provisions"
---

# §12207. Federal wilderness areas

- (a) **Study—** The National Council on [Disability](/usc/42/12102.md?p=1) shall conduct a study and report on the effect that wilderness designations and wilderness land management [practices](/usc/42/17061.md?p=19) have on the ability of individuals with [disabilities](/usc/42/12102.md?p=1) to use and enjoy the National Wilderness Preservation System as established under the Wilderness Act ([16 U.S.C. 1131](/usc/16/1131.md) et seq.).
- (b) **Submission of report—** Not later than 1 year after July 26, 1990, the National Council on [Disability](/usc/42/12102.md?p=1) shall submit the report required under [subsection (a)](#a) to Congress.
- (c) **Specific wilderness access—**
  - (1) **In general—** Congress reaffirms that nothing in the Wilderness Act [[16 U.S.C. 1131](/usc/16/1131.md) et seq.] is to be construed as prohibiting the use of a wheelchair in a wilderness area by an individual whose [disability](/usc/42/12102.md?p=1) requires use of a wheelchair, and consistent with the Wilderness Act no [agency](/usc/42/8262.md?p=1) is required to provide any form of special [treatment](/usc/42/11851.md?p=11) or accommodation, or to construct any facilities or modify any conditions of lands within a wilderness area in order to facilitate such use.
  - (2) **“Wheelchair” defined—** For purposes of [paragraph (1)](#c-1), the term “wheelchair” means a device designed solely for use by a mobility-impaired [person](/usc/42/12111.md?p=7) for locomotion, that is suitable for use in an indoor pedestrian area.

## Source credit

(Pub. L. 101–336, title V, § 508, formerly § 507, July 26, 1990, 104 Stat. 372; renumbered § 508, Pub. L. 110–325, § 6(a)(2), Sept. 25, 2008, 122 Stat. 3558.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

The Wilderness Act, referred to in subsecs. (a) and (c)(1), is Pub. L. 88–577, Sept. 3, 1964, 78 Stat. 890, which is classified generally to chapter 23 (§ 1131 et seq.) of Title 16, Conservation. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see Short Title note set out under section 1131 of Title 16 and Tables.

### Prior Provisions

A prior section 508 of Pub. L. 101–336 was renumbered section 509 and is classified to section 12208 of this title.