Rocky or uneven terrain, steep inclines, roaring rapids and a lack of guidance all serve as barriers to getting people outdoors, especially those with limited mobility. Multiple Oregon programs — including in Lane County — seek to bridge this gap.
Adventures Without Limits (AWL) is a Forest Grove-based nonprofit dedicated to making outdoor experiences accessible to people with mental and physical disabilities.
Jennifer Wilde, AWL’s director of outreach and development, says the activities offered by AWL are, of course, season dependent, with snowshoeing and cross country skiing occurring only in the winter months, and kayaking, paddle boarding, canoeing, hiking and outdoor rock climbing taking place in the spring, summer and fall.
“In the spring,” Wilde says, “we’re starting to see the rivers come back in with some of the snow melt, so rafting is a popular one, as well as kayaking once the sun starts to come out.”
Most of the aquatic activities that are popular in the spring are on the Deschutes, Santiam, Sandy and Clackamas rivers.
Wilde says that the activities AWL offers, especially the water-based outings, are made accessible in a variety of ways.
“While, of course, we aren’t able to control nature, we can choose boat launches or stretches of rivers that are more conducive for a wide variety of folks who want to get outdoors,” she says. “There’s not always a one-size-fits-all approach, but tailoring the experience for the individual needs.”
Much of this tailoring, Wilde says, is accomplished through the adaptive gear that AWL provides.
“Sometimes it’s duct tape and foam and a little bit of creativity,” she says, “and other times there’s a specialized prop, like a grip assist for a kayak paddle.”
Wilde has been with the nonprofit since 2017, as she’d studied exercise science in her undergraduate program at the University of North Carolina and earned a master’s in social work from Portland State University. She says that AWL combined her “interest and experience in adaptive and inclusive recreation.”
Although AWL is based in Forest Grove, its outdoor activities take people through the Portland metro area, Mt. Hood National Forest, the Oregon coast, southwest Washington, Columbia River Gorge and more.
Within Lane County, Adaptive Recreation Services at Hilyard Community Center provides year-round programming and rents adaptive outdoor gear, and David’s Chair provides all-terrain track chairs and paragolfers — a wheelchair that lifts and supports the user so they can swing a golf club — for free at Mount Pisgah and on the coast.
AWL also works to make its outings financially accessible, with the open-to-the-public community trips being offered on a sliding scale. “We just trust that folks will do what they need to do. We don’t ask questions about that,” Wilde says. “Just sign up at the level that meets your financial resources.”
On top of the sliding scale, AWL provides the necessary gear for the trip, including any safety gear and some weather-dependent clothing. While people are asked to come prepared and dressed in appropriate outdoor attire, they don’t have to provide their own snowshoes, for example.
Although the program was developed to serve people with disabilities, its outdoor adventures are available to everyone.
“It’s not up to me or the organization to define what access means to someone, and a lot of the barriers that we’re prepared to accommodate for folks with disabilities are the same barriers that other folks in our community may face as well,” Wilde says. “Those are pretty universal experiences, and that’s why it’s important for our programs to be inclusive.”