What do we mean when we use the words adaptive recreation and why are these words especially applicable to this winter season of 2015?
Well, let’s first be clear about adaptive recreation; that’s when you use modify activities and apply assistive technology so that participants with disabilities may play and participate alongside their peers who do not have disabilities. This, in essence, is what Outdoors for All is all about. We adapt our tools and techniques so that everyone may get outdoors and exercise their abilities.
- We might utilize a highly customized seated apparatus (thanks to some amazing equipment suppliers) for sit skiing – this way a stroke survivor or individual with paralysis may still get outside and ski on the snow.
- We may use a special frame called a snowslider mounted on skis along with special bungee cord material and heavy duty clamps to help keep an individual with limited control of their leg muscles to ski while standing.
- We may adapt a foam kneeling pad typically used for gardening to help cushion a bi-ski seat and give the participant a comfortable and even-keeled seating platform.
- We always use a ski pole calculator to ensure people get the right poles but we may also use special Velcro strapping to help adapt and enhance someone’s hold on a ski pole or kayak paddle.
- And, of course, where would we be without duct tape? Well, we might still be in the chalet and not out on the ski trails and slopes if it weren’t for duct tape!
Sometimes it’s not the physical tools we need to adapt, sometimes it’s our communication methods, or teaching strategies that we may need to use in a lesson to adjust to the social skills of someone with autism or an individual with a cognitive disability.
This spirit of “we’ll find a way” is what adaptive recreation is all about.
This spirit of “we’ll find a way” is also serving us well this “winter” season in the Pacific Northwest. It’s no secret that we are in the midst of low snow start to our “winter” this year. Our ski area partners, The Summit at Snoqualmie and Stevens Pass, have been working overtime to cultivate the limited snowpack that they may have and make the best of it.
What’s remarkable to me, but not surprising, is how well Outdoors for All Participants, Volunteers and Staff are adapting to this year’s low snow conditions as well. Without question, we’d all wish for lots more snow this season.
But what’s not lacking, what is frankly just plain awesome, is the response by so many to the situation of adapting and making the best of it!
- It’s early January and there’s still not enough snow to start the season? No problem! We’ll find a way and adapt by starting our weekly lessons later than usual and still work to get in as many lessons as we can this season.
- It’s later in January and there’s still not enough snow at Snoqualmie Pass to run our Nordic lessons? OK, we’ll find a way by moving all of our Saturday Nordic operations – participants, volunteers, equipment, transportation logistics and more — to the Stevens Pass Nordic Center and run our lessons there. (Thank you especially to Stevens Pass for their support of this! It is significantly more costly for our transportation to do this, but we know that it’s the right thing to do).
- Socked in and rainy outside on the slopes? In some places more dirt than snow on the hillsides? Yeah, so what? We’ll find a way, let’s go play!
“We’ll find a way, let’s go play” is what continues to happen this winter – thanks to the indomitable adaptive spirit of everyone involved with Outdoors for All. It’s in our nature to adapt and do so!
I’m honored to get to share in these adaptive recreation experiences with so many individuals. While the snow still may be in shorter than ideal supply this season, what’s not in short supply is the number of smiles that I’ve seen so far. Here’s to seeing many more of those smiles and positive outcomes outdoors – and here’s hoping for some more snow, too!
See you on the slopes and trails this winter!
Ed