“Out o’ here”: A Real-Life Story of Inclusive Recreation

“Out o’ here” was a phrase that expressed my desire to ditch my daily routine of just sitting around. Thanks to RAA I am “out of my care center” on a regular basis enjoying activities I loved before my stroke.

We started Rochester Accessible Adventures for one reason — so that people in our communities could benefit from active, social, inclusive recreation — because we know that participation in recreation Inspires Hope and Improves Ability. Before RAA, I had done a fairly good job of running clinics which showed people they could indeed cycle, or sail, or kayak, or play golf, or any of the wonderful activities I planned and organized for them because they had a disability. But when the same people, now inspired by seeing they COULD do something, wanted to go do those things on their own time, with their own family/friends — they couldn’t. Because I had the knowledge of what they needed, and I had the equipment tucked away until “next time”.

We knew there must be a way to connect people to what they wanted to do:  That we could Inspire Hope and Improve Ability by providing a platform where access was easy, frequent, and inclusive of people with and without disabilities.

Does this really matter? Aren’t the clinics enough?  Yes, it matters. It really matters. And no, the clinics are not enough. We MUST also have inclusive recreation at the foundation of our communities or we will continue to do a disservice to ourselves as a community.

I received a letter from Jim and Claudia, who I met at an introduction to cycling and kayaking clinic at Erie Canal Boat Company in Fairport, NY. The clinic was inspiring!  As you will see, they have stayed active since that clinic — and they have been participating without me having to be there!

Please enjoy Jim and Claudia’s story and see why WE MUST HAVE INCLUSION IN RECREATION!

Cheers to YOUR adventures!

Anita

FROM “I can only imagine” TO “the reality by way of RAA” which enhances the quality of life.
or
FROM sitting outside of the care center TO adventures on the Erie Canal

by Jim Kamm and Claudia Meitner

I am now 71 years old, a stroke survivor of 5 years living with the effects of partial paralysis with use of only one side of my body, and aphasia, limiting my ability to process and express my thoughts. Literally in the last 3 years, from daily communication with my friend, Claudia, my vocabulary has gone from “good, good, good” to “excellent” — enabling me to process and verbalize my thoughts from one word to sentences, and often paragraphs. My daily activities have stimulated interests which have stimulated brain function which in turn has stimulated processing verbal communication skills.

Imagine your eyes panning a backdrop of a clear blue sky and the July full green foliage of trees lining the bike trail which hide the railroad tracks only 250 feet away …the roaring sound of a fast moving train’s periodic whistling to warn the traffic in the nearby town, until it eventually fades in the distance to only the gentle sound of your paddle dipping into the waters of the Erie Canal. Suddenly you feel like you are watching the opening scene of a movie… or actually an actor in the movie … then realizing you are a fortunate recipient of Rochester Accessible Adventure’s community, which you define as “a gift from God.”

The contrast of the loud overbearing sound of the train in great contrast to the silence of the sound of the peaceful movement of a kayak on a windless day with only the minor current of the canal to contend with, brings to mind the contrast of my life before and after I was introduced to the freedom given by the hoyer lift available at the Erie Canal Boat Company. I am a former marathon runner and biker, and I was delighted to discover that kayaking in the canal and cycling the canal trails was now available for people with disabilities. They have made it easy and accessible for me to transfer from my wheelchair to a tandem kayak with an adaption for one handed paddling, which seem like a miracle when you’ve been using a chair for years.

Anita O’Brien, owner of Rochester Accessible Adventures, and Peter Abele, owner of the Erie Canal Boat Company, have been extremely interactive with the disability community to discover innovative solutions to access adventures for people who feel no hope in returning to activities they once knew to be a major part of their lives. RAA is life changing indeed! With RAA there is hope!

Our first introduction to the adult recumbent tricycles came when physical therapists from Ewing Continuing Care Center took me to an RAA Event in 2015. Claudia followed up 6 months later by contacting RAA to again try out a tricycle and get a referral on whom to purchase one. Because of RAA’s referral we now own a recumbent tri-cycle that I, a wheelchair user and a former cyclist, now ride whenever I choose. “Our story of hope” has continually advanced because of RAA’s sensitivity in “listening to understand” our needs. For example, making biking available by advising where to purchase one and currently working with UR to develop a necessary lateral leg support adaption for bikers with limited leg movement, necessary for a safe and more comfortable ride.

“Out o’ here” was a phrase,” says Claudia, “that expressed Jim’s desire to ditch his daily routine of just sitting around. Thanks to RAA Jim is “out of his care center” on a regular basis enjoying activities he loved before his stroke.”

The most valuable features of my association with RAA are the enhanced quality of living with recreational advantages, “doing the things I used to do,” and “transforming an ordinary disabled life into an extraordinary vacation.”

We became supporters and attend some of the events to share and encourage others with the opportunities we have experienced and how RAA has enhanced Jim’s standard of living.