AbilityPLUS Recreation Profile

Nonprofit’s Adaptive Programs Designed for Skiers of All Abilities

Jan 10, 2009

Since 1997, AbilityPLUS has sought to make year-round recreation, such as snow sports and cycling, accessible to those with physical, emotional, and sensory disabilities.

AbilityPLUS, located in Waterville Valley in the heart of New Hampshire ski country, is dedicated to availing the disabled of opportunities to experience adaptive sports, including Alpine and Nordic skiing, snowshoeing, sled hockey, kayaking, hiking, bicycling, and therapeutic horseback riding.

Executive director Kathy Chandler founded AbilityPLUS in 1997 with the help of a small group of volunteers who were inspired by the athletic achievements of the region’s disabled skiers.

The organization now runs affiliate and partner program with major New England ski centers, Attitash-Bear Peak (Bartlett, Mount Snow, VT, and Wachusett Mountain, Princeton, Mass) and over 250 volunteers who have helped thousands of individuals and their families experience the joy of outdoor recreation.

AbilityPLUS 2009 Programs Accommodate Every Ability, and Welcome Disabled Veterans

AbilityPLUS serves people from every demographic, including a growing number of disabled veterans in the Wounded Warrior Disabled Sports Project, which it coordinates with the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The program, now in its fifth year, pairs veterans with specially trained instructors at Waterville Valley to learn the use of mono- and sit-skis.

AbilityPLUs’ Paralympic Academy takes place January 24-25, 2009 in Waterville Valley. The weekend program provides an opportunity to sample downhill and cross-country skiing, sled hockey, or all three.

The event is free for kids with physical disabilities; equipment and instruction is provided. Durham, NH-based Northeast Passage will facilitate sled hockey and cross-country skiing on Saturday. Call 603.862.0700 to register.

AbilityPLUS at Mount Snow WinterFest

The Festival (February 7, 2009) features a Fun-Ski Race, a gala with raffle, silent, and live auctions to benefit AbilityPLUS at Mount Snow (West Dover, Vermont). For the Fun Race, friends and family create four-person teams, each containing one adaptive skier. Participants can also enjoy an afternoon apres ski activates at the mountain. Cost: $450 for teams; $125 for individuals. Call 802.464.1100 x4699 to register.

Summer Bike Events

Each summer, AbilityPLUS organizes bicycle events at Snow Mountain for juniors, everyday riders, volunteers, and families that have a social component and serve as fundraisers. Rides are designed for every age and ability, from leisurely cruises down country roads, to a 75-mile ride over the White Mountain’s Kancamagus Highway. Riders typically have three choices:

Like Northeast Passage, Access 2 Adventure (Tiverton, RI), and Vermont Adaptive Ski & Sports, AbilityPLUS is on the leading edge of the disabled sports movement in New England, meeting a growing demand for programs that employ the latest advances in technology, and volunteers committed to meeting new standards for accessible recreation.

The copyright of the article AbilityPLUS Recreation Profile in Accessible Recreation is owned by Andrew Leibs. Permission to republish AbilityPLUS Recreation Profile in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.