Accessible Travel for Outdoor Adventure: Safaris, Fishing, Hunting, Skiing, and More for Handicapped Travelers
Posted November 18th, 2009 in general news and helpful information
Pristine wilderness in Harriman Lake Park, Colorado.
Hello all, and welcome back to the Disabled Travelers blog, your source for the latest in disabled travel knowledge. This week it’s all about accessibility in outdoor adventures. Disability travel shouldn’t be limited to tourist destinations; there are plenty of beautiful sights out there in nature that disabled travelers have every right to enjoy. Luckily, there’s a slew of reliable disabled travel resources for those who want to see natural beauty with as little interference as possible from “civilization.” Among these are tour operators and travel agents devoted to disabled accessible camping in a variety of places.
Let’s start off with Accessible Canadian Adventures. This is a company that’s all about providing accessible fishing, hunting, and wildlife photography adventures. The company has an incredible range, covering most of Canada, and can also organize trips to Australia. Among these “meticulously planned” adventures are hunting trips for the game of your choice, including elk, red stag, snow geese, and even grizzly bears. Fishing can include musky, pike, salmon, and more. There’s some pretty amazing information and accommodations here for anyone interested in heading up north or down under.
Endeavour Safaris covers disabled travel and wheelchair accessible safaris in Africa, specifically South Africa, Namibia, and Botswana. It offers beach tours, day trips, and even a few more extreme options like bungee jumping, paragliding, and shark cage diving. This all depends on your mobility and comfort level, naturally, but the company website claims they can organize accessible travel based on your level of activity and interest. All the vehicles in Endeavour Safari’s fleet are equipped with hydraulic lifts for wheelchair access. In addition to the accessible transportation options, there are also accessible camping facilities with specialized tents.
Some folks might want to head to the great outdoors, but have real concerns whether their equipment is up to the challenge. Look no further than “all-terrain” Renegade Wheelchairs. These chairs are inspired by mountain bike technology and are specially designed to serve handicapped travelers under conditions where wheelchair access isn’t typical: according to the website, a Renegade Wheelchair can handle mud, sand, and snow. Interestingly, the Hunting Package option comes with a fishing pole holder, mobile blind, and even a gun rack! Now, I should point out that I have no personal experience with a Renegade Wheelchair, but the reviews I’ve been able to find sound favorable. I’d like to hear from a genuine Renegade user in person, so drop me a line.
In the United States, Wilderness on Wheels has hiking, fishing, wildlife watching, camping, cookouts, and picnics in the wilderness of Denver, Colorado. Adaptive Adventures is another great organization in Colorado. Anchors Aweigh, operating out of beautiful Amelia Island in Florida, is a nonprofit handicapped organization that provides free charter boats for those who love to fish. Challenged Sportsman’s Outfitters is an Alabama nonprofit with fishing, hunting, and wheelchair accessible lodging. SitSki offers resources for adaptive skiing and sports around the country.
Looking for more general info on outdoor activities for handicapped travelers? There are a couple of good general sites for sportsmen and sportswomen with mobility issues. Todd Albaugh’s Handicapped Hunting Resource Guide has great support for any trip that’s going to involve hunting, with state-by-state overviews, resourceful links, and equipment. Some of the info is a little dated, but it’s still a great help for finding out more from government agencies and nonprofits. Physically Challenged Bowhunters of America is a nonprofit nationwide community for handicapped bowhunters, and promotes bowhunting for therapeutic use.
Well, that’s it for outdoor adventures and today’s blog post. Of course, there are many more disabled travel resources than we can ever cover in one post – and I’ll be back with some more of them in just a little while. So until then, keep adventuring!
Si
