Equity Outdoors

By George Szwender

Give me the patience to endure
The shams that hang about
To disregard the smashing blows
Of those who only doubt.
Give me the joy, the love of life
Let it forever flare
A bright and glowing molten flame
Consuming dark despair.

William R. Watson


The truth is that there is no clearly defined separation between the well and the infirm and that in our time many of those considered well will suffer some infirmity.” – James F. Hillary, American Institute of Architects.

Access to Canada’s outdoors is taken for granted by the vast majority of Canadians who can choose from many outdoor recreation opportunities: skiing, skating and shopping in winter; hiking, camping and picnicking in summer. And, for the disabled? You guessed it! Access to outdoor recreation facilities and program is restricted.

Why do less than 15% of disabled Canadians use community facilities? Aside from people’s attitudes toward the disabled, the biggest barriers to participation are physical mobility and transportation. And just how large a constituency does the disabled make in Canada? 2,449,000 Canadian adults – and 300,000 children – have a permanent disability. Over 13% of all Canadians!

Alberta is one province that has listened to this constituency and has developed some unique and well received facilities to provide outdoor recreational opportunities. Camp Horizon in Kananaskis Country near Calgary provides residential camps with a range of high adventure outdoor programs. The camp also features a swimming pool, game court, teepee living and accessible trails. Camp Health-Hope-Happiness west of Edmonton provides programs in the summer for people with a wide range of disabilities and is open for bookings in the winter. They have an indoor pool, lakeside access and a range of programs. William Watson Lodge (WWL) in Kananaskis Country is a wilderness facility that provides accessible accommodation and includes camping, trails and special needs programming. Kananaskis Country has made a policy of adapting accessible barrier free designs for most facilities.

What can others do about removing barriers so people with disabilities can enjoy trails and our outdoor heritage? Since 1981 a phenomenal demand has been placed on William Watson Lodge and Peter Lougheed Provincial Park. The use of this park area has increased and resulted in an extensive study of the patterns and desires of disabled outdoor recreationists. Close to 7,000 different visit WWL in one year. As people visit the park more frequently, they want to get off the beaten (paved) path and explore other local trails.

Park users with disabilities want to explore more of the popular walking trails in Peter Lougheed Provincial Park and they don’t want or need paved trails everywhere. Ordinary hiking and interpretive trails can and should be made barrier free.

Equity Outdoors found its beginning as an international conference on recreational opportunity for persons with disabilities. The exchange of knowledge and technique occurring at this meeting was profound. The melding of practical “how to” information with a philosophy rooted in making outdoor adventure equitable had an immediate and compelling spin-off. The current Equity Outdoors committee, formerly the planning group for this conference, is serving as an information clearing-house for all manner of outdoor sports and recreation activities.