RAA is Transforming the Erie Canalway!

The Erie Canalway is being filled as I am writing this post!  A sure sign of Spring!  And that means it’s time for the Erie Canalway to come alive with not only the flora and fauna that make it a delight to explore, but also with families and friends coming out of winter hibernation and searching for new adventures along the waterways and pathways that connect our towns and villages across New York State.

We are ready for the new season and ready for YOU to come join us in our efforts to transform the Erie Canalway!  Our Community Health Inclusion (CHI) partner, Peter Abele, owner and operator of Erie Canal Boat Company in Fairport NY, is EXPANDING his business in 2018 and will work with RAA to bring inclusive kayaking, cycling, and other adventures to the canalway from Lockport, NY to the Syracuse region!  Adhering to the Adaptive Paddling and Cycling Center (APACC) model, Peter will work with RAA to develop sites which give communities the opportunity to expand outreach to families with a member with a disability and provide accessible hubs for utilizing adaptive and standard kayaking and cycling equipment.

The new Lockport, NY site will open this summer of 2018 in the Wide Waters Marina area.  The City of Lockport is investing in the project and will be installing a new accessible dock system which the new APACC will be able to utilize for rentals and clinics.  Peter will be placing a building there to house equipment and provide a site for staff to work from as they assist guests in cycle and kayak rentals.  We are tremendously excited about this new adventure and look forward to creating new partnerships in the Lockport and Buffalo region!

This is an amazing adventure!  Erie Canal Boat Company in Fairport saw tremendous growth in 2017, with individuals with disabilities kayaking and cycling at an incredible rate now that ECBC operates inclusively whenever their doors are open for business!  There were 300 rentals of kayaks and cycles to people with disabilities and an additional 130 rentals to family and friends who could now go out together — many for the FIRST time — and explore the canalway’s trails!

What’s coming next?  Stay tuned to our webpage, our Facebook page, (and Twitter and Instagram!) for updates on events like the APACC Extravaganza on June 16-17, 2018 as well as new APACC locations as they roll out!  Contact us today to find out how you can volunteer, donate, and become a CHI partner to help us bring inclusive, accessible recreation to families and friends with disabilities in their hometown communities.  The impact is TREMENDOUS!  People with disabilities are finally able to access the wonders of the Erie Canal alongside their family and friends — and that experience is empowering and inspiring — on both an individual level AND for the entire community.

We give great thanks to the Erie Canalway National Heritage Corridor whose grant support enabled us to work towards this replication of our APACC model and to produce a new video with the help of  Chapter One Productions to promote the impact of our work towards not just imagining — but truly creating inclusive access to the Erie Canalway!