Fall 2019 - Inside Outdoor Magazine

Inside Outdoor | FALL 2019 14 T he fact is, for the average person with disabilities it can still be very difficult to engage in outdoor recre- ation. And sometimes, it’s due to a basic lack of accessibility. In the most recent OIA Outdoor Participa- tion report, for instance, 14 percent of non- participants cited having a physical disability as a main reason for not engaging in outdoor recreation. Participants also cited having family members with a physical disability as a contrib- uting factor for not getting outside to play. Unfortunately for many adaptive ath- letes, physical challenges are only part of the problem. Financial restrictions also can come into play, especially for lower-income families and individuals. Adaptive paddlesport athletes, for instance, may require items such as special seats, transfer benches, stabilizers and paddles. Ski- ers may need to use customized monoskis, biskis or triskis with embedded chairs. Hikers By Gerald Baldino Despite all the progress in outdoor disability inclusion, there’s still a lot of work to do in the adaptive space Breaking Barriers In-Season Adaptive racers on their marks at the annual Kelly Brush Foundation Ride; photo by Caleb Kenna Photography