Providing Barrier-Free Recreation

Northeast Passage Makes Outdoor Activities Accessible to Disabled

Oct 14, 2008

Jill Gravink's organization Northeast Passage proves that almost any outdoor activity can be adapted for the disabled and that recreation lies at the core of who we are.

For Jill Gravink, recreation is a cornerstone of one’s identity. “It’s how we define ourselves,” she says. “It’s normalizing, salubrious, and is an environment we can all relate to.”

Before 1990, however, “all” rarely included persons with physical, sensory, and cognitive disabilities. That year, the Americans with Disabilities Act became law, Gravink founded Northeast Passage, and disability specific sports and recreation began to grow.

Northeast Passage Pioneered Accessible Recreation Programming

In the following interview, Gravink discusses the part she and her organization play in helping the disabled.

Jill Gravink: I grew up with two cousins who had Muscular Dystrophy; they often visited, and we were constantly figuring out how not to leave them behind, whether we were climbing trees or going to the beach. This perspective grew into a life philosophy, and I have enjoyed its development. Helping people journey from “There’s no way I can do this,” to “Wow!” is what drives me.

We provide a total continuation of service; we meet people at any stage of recovery. We do clinical interventions; we help schools develop education plans for special needs students; and help seniors through our Path program. Our biggest program is sports and recreation: we offer hiking, cycling, Nordic skiing, waterskiing, golf, sled hockey and quad rugby.

Much of our programming is geared towards persons with physical disabilities including spinal cord injuries, amputees, or Muscular Dystrophy, as well as sensory disabilities such as visual impairment. But our mission is broadening out to include autism and developmental disabilities, Spina bifida, and those recovering from strokes, polio, or cancer.

That’s the cool thing: almost any sport can be modified using technology or adaptive equipment to accommodate participation at any ability level, from recreational therapy to Paralympic competition.

Growth of Accessible Recreation

Jill Gravink: I think accessibility is the new Civil Rights Movement. We’re seeing the manifestations of the Americans With Disabilities Act, now 18 years old, the same way passage of Title IX resulted in professional sports for women. Society is seeing you have to make things accessible.

Recovery time for the newly disabled is often shorter, so recreation therapy has become more goal-based to accommodate people at different levels of function. Another change is our society’s increasing awareness of autism.

Recreation therapy helps teachers monitor a child’s behavior; e.g. which environments trigger discomfort, enabling teachers to create social environments, and to help students develop skills in social settings.

Yes. One of my early cases was a quadriplegic. We helped him get out and kayak, scuba dive, and even skydive. I saw him recently; he thanked me for changing his life. I asked how, and was surprised when he said, conversation. After his injury, he didn’t go out; he and his stories aged five years. Our adventures gave him new things to talk about, rebuilt his esteem, and reestablished emotional connections with his family and friends. Recreation is the backbone of our lives.

Jill Gravink is a Certified Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (CTRS/L), and executive director of Northeast Passage of the Recreation Management and Policy Department at the University of New Hampshire.

To find programming in your area, Gravink recommends starting with Disabled Sports USA and its regional chapters.

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