Fall 2019 - Inside Outdoor Magazine

Inside Outdoor | FALL 2019 16 and cyclists typically require items including off-road handcycles, walk- ers and crutch poles. Such equipment can be very cost-prohibitive and inac- cessible to everyday adaptive ath- letes who lack the capital to engage in their favorite sports. Trackchair’s all-terrain Action Trackchair, for in- stance, a type of off-road wheeled chair – as incredible and life-changing as it may be – comes with a $14,700 price tag. An Edge monoski, for that matter, can exceed $5,000. Most consumers cannot afford this type of equipment without the help of third- party organizations, grants or insur- ance vouchers. ROOM FOR DISRUPTION It’s clear that the adaptive market is poised for disruption, especially if you look beyond the needs of individual consumers and into organizations such as nonprofits, camps and schools – places that adaptive athletes typically turn to for cost-effective access to rec- reational equipment. Alex Ristorelli, for instance, is program director at Common Ground Outdoor Adventures, a nonprofit that provides adaptive recreation services to more than 3,500 individuals with disabilities. As Ristorelli explained, it’s hard to find adaptive equipment that’s well suited for a teaching environment. “There aren’t really any companies creating affordable adaptive equipment for organizations,” Ristorelli said. “As an nonprofit, what I need is a good, basic, solid piece of equipment that I can adjust for someone that is 5’7 all the way up to 6 feet tall in a matter of minutes, as opposed to going through the process of taking out 15 screws, changing the angle a little bit, putting the 15 screws back in, and so on. I need something that’s easily adjust- able for a wide range of people.” According to Ristorelli, there is also a major need for a high-quality rafting seat that’s easy to set up, comfortable for the user and priced at a level that a nonprofit could actu- ally afford. Today, most organizations are still forced to jury-rig their own solutions for adaptive customers. Oftentimes, these solutions are rudi- mentary, lack side support and make it difficult for participants to paddle. “Every company that I’ve seen has a different way to set somebody up in a rafting chair, so that they can paddle, and have support so they won’t fall out if they lack core strength to hold them- selves up,” Ristorelli said. “None of them are really perfect.” For adaptive paddlesports ath- letes, it also can be difficult having to adjust to different systems. The lack of standardization is inconvenient, and unpredictable. “Some places do have the ability to get [adaptive athletes] paddling,” Ris- torelli said. “In other places, they just put the person right in the middle of the boat. And while it’s still fun, and it’s great to get people outside, encourag- Facts About People with Disabilities 48.9 million Estimated number of people with disabilities in the U.S. 19.4% Percent of non-institutionalized civilians in the U.S. that have some form of disability 24.1 million Estimated number of U.S. resident with a severe disability 34.2 million Estimated number of U.S. residents with a functional disability 52% Percent of people with disabilities who are employed 26% Percent of people with a severe disability who are employed Source: U.S. Census; National Service Inclusion Project Monoski in action; photo by Dave Poole courtesy Dirt Myth Photography