There is something to be said for not re-inventing the wheel.

This was very true for our Recreation Program when we decided it was past time that people with disabilities were able participate in rock climbing, kayaking, scuba diving, and horseback riding and to do so in an integrated setting! The thought of building our own climbing wall, kayaking business, diving pool and riding arena came and went quickly. What followed was the even more brilliant idea: let the community learn to become accessible. And why not?! The Rochester area already has businesses which provide these activities to the public – or at least to parts of the public. It made great sense to act as the facilitators in this venture. We would devise a program through which we could train the businesses to open their services to an untapped marketing niche – people with disabilities.

And so began a three-year federally funded adventure called Outdoor Exposure. People with disabilities climbed high, kayaked the Erie Canal, swam down under, and cantered and trotted. All were adults. Some were re-living childhood experiences they had not been able to do since they “aged out” of children’s programs. Others were experiencing these adrenaline highs for the first time in their life. All were enthusiastic about the opportunity to have a CHOICE of whether or not to try these things. (Even some people who decided NOT to experience these things were very excited to be able to say “No”!)

The integrated classes allowed businesses to learn first-hand what it is like to provide their service to a group with multiple types of ability. They learned practical details such as how to use/make/purchase adaptive equipment and how to anticipate potential teaching issues that might arise (eg, need for more support staff). Through the class discussions, everyone learned about Barriers to participation – and then made suggestions of how to tear down those barriers. We talked about four categories of barriers:

• Transportation – some places that are not on public bus lines are automatically out of reach of some people with disabilities.
• Financial cost – many adventure-type activities are expensive, especially for someone on a limited/fixed income, which includes many people with disabilities.
• Physical Accessibility – many adventure providers have not made their services physically accessible, which inhibits many people with disabilities from participating.
• Attitudes – many people hold attitudes that automatically preclude a person with a disability from participating in adventure activities

“You can’t kayak! You use a wheelchair!”
“If you use adaptive equipment and don’t use your arms and legs, you’re not really rock climbing.
“I shouldn’t scuba dive – I have cerebral palsy.”
“If those people come to my business, my regular customers won’t want to be here.”
(Yes, we heard all of those and many more!)

There were a lot of truly amazing moments in this journey. We saw people look deep inside themselves and make decisions to take a step outside their comfort zones. We saw them come out on the other side exuberant. And happy. And amazed. And ready to tackle the world. We saw staff at the businesses learning – you could absolutely see the learning taking place right on their faces! We saw business owners struggle with and ultimately embrace the idea of learning person-first language and ability-first thinking. We saw family members riding horses and kayaking together for the first time since the onset of a disability. We saw other family members who came to the last day of classes and realized in astonishment that they could have participated alongside their loved one – but had assumed, despite the advertisement, that the class was for those with disabilities only. The business owners saw all of these reactions first-hand, and began to see the proverbial light about how much integrated business was important in this community.

Sometimes it’s much easier to think of “doing it ourselves” but I am a firm believer, with program results to support it, in community partnerships. Such partnerships make for a stronger community. Trust, acceptance, education – so many barriers can be broken down when these elements are in play. We tackled physical barriers with adaptive equipment and modifications. We worked on transportation and financial barriers by using grant money to establish sponsorship funds for the businesses. And we began the process of changing the minds and hearts of those holding attitudes that prohibit the achievement of integrated, accessible adventure.

As the grant ends, we know the effects will continue to carry on in the minds, actions and business practices of our partners. We encourage everyone to consider partnership options when it comes to trying to create change in our world! It’s a true learning adventure!