Project Description:
Maintaining Accessible Snow Sports in Northern Arizona
Building off the Pre-COVID Success of last season, we will have the goal of providing 100 adaptive ski and/or ride lessons to students with I/DD. We will also provide the travel stipend to offset the travel costs. If the ski season opens as normal (as possible), we believe we can certify an additional five instructors, similar to last years goal. We plan to improve and expand our recruitment efforts by making certain that the programs are noted on the IHD website, the NAASA website, and potentially by proposing a human-interest story to KNAU.
As the current project has shown, program evaluation and OT support have proven to be beneficial in improving the program. We anticipate continuing these two functions moving forward and expanding them into other areas. Specifically, the evaluation will be extended to gather information on participants in both the winter and summer sports programs, as well as from members of the Adventure Board. OT support will be extended into assistance with special fitting for new equipment used in the hiking and kayaking extensions. The delivery schedule of pre lesson, post lesson, and four month follow up surveys will be continued. Likewise, the initial survey questions will be refined to better measure areas of interest that were not measured previously. This will include adding items to determine residency (e.g., urban vs rural), more specificity on ethnicity, and overall improve the collection of demographic information. We also plan to add a specific quantitative satisfaction question that will complement the open-ended response options in the current survey as referenced earlier.
Hiking and Kayaking
Based upon the evaluations from last year, adaptive Kayaking and Hiking recreational activities for people with I/DD piqued the most interest. NAASA staff has conducted research on feasibility of adding kayaking and hiking as summer sports. This includes identifying safe and accessible locations throughout Arizona and investigations into certification programs for adaptive kayaking and adaptive hiking instructors. As part of the research into the certification process for adaptive kayaking and hiking, costs associated with Wilderness First Responder (WFR) training, CPR, and basic first aid were explored and added to the budget for this renewal.
In the event there is an adverse year for the adaptive ski and ride program, due to uncontrollable factors such as a bad snow year or closures due to the COVID-19 outbreak, a more extensive research and development project will explore the feasibility and viability of safe, effective outdoor adaptive recreation during summer months. Based on evaluation from the project last year, participants cited interest in Hiking and Kayaking. Operating outside the scope and partnership of Arizona Snowbowl considerable liability mitigation must take place. This will include insurance policies, first aid certification, CPR certifications for staff and volunteers providing the adaptive recreational activities. Personal floatation devices, adaptive hiking equipment along with adaptive kayaks and kayak paddles will need to be purchased, as well as equipment to store and transport all the equipment. The importance of evaluation support and OT support is mirrored in the project as well as having someone qualified to implement the research, development, and implementation of the program. As described in the budget justification, the NAASA coordinator has experience, local knowledge, and education in Parks and Recreation Management.
Pilot program with students - by December 31, 2021 NAASA will provide 200 individuals with I/DD kayaking and/or hiking experiences by the end of grant period.
Keyword(s):
skiing, sports, recreation, adaptive, snowbowl
