Find A Way To “YES!”

How to make challenge courses more inclusive

By Carolyn Jacobs
Photos: Courtesy Of The Forge: Lemont Quarries and ESI, Inc.

Melanie Wills’ Story

Twenty years ago, as a new challenge-course facilitator, I was asked to take a group with special needs through some initiatives and low-course elements. I remember being stumped on choosing the activity line-up since there was limited information about the participants and an understanding of what they could do. I was also new to working with “this type of group,” or so I labeled it at the time. My co-workers suggested, “just do what you normally do.” That statement carried much more meaning than I realized at the time.

While there was additional work I could do to plan and prepare as much as possible, I discovered having a willingness to be welcoming and inclusive was the perfect place to start.

Carla Hacker’s Story

Like my colleague and collaborator, I also came into this field with little or no experience in working or interacting with individuals with disabilities. In 1974, as a college freshman, I volunteered to teach a swimming program for children with orthopedic disabilities in a therapeutic pool. On the first day, 10 children were sitting in wheelchairs waiting for me! Prior to that day, I had had absolutely no experience with anyone with a physical or intellectual disability. However, I did know how to teach kids to swim. I later coordinated with a team of friends to volunteer and help the program be sustained for another four years. During that time, I was not sure how well the children learned, but my own learning was exponential.

Often, we are called on in this industry to work with little experience, no specialized equipment, and little support. Approaching each challenge with a focus on possible solutions and a willingness to try is essential—especially in that often-unfamiliar territory of working with participants with disabilities. 

Getting Started

So where does one begin? Finding a way to “yes” is of paramount importance. Saying “yes” implies worthiness. It affirms an individual is worthy of effort, worthy of being included, worthy of opportunity, and of being a worthy human. Suppose there is a facility that is completely inaccessible, the staff members have little or no experience, there is no specialized equipment, and a request arrives to provide services for an individual or group with a disability. Begin by assessing what you can provide; Research available resources in the community. Brainstorm in collaboration with the participants who made the request to find solutions that will work for both the camp and the participants. The end result may not be exactly what everyone envisioned, but it could be a great compromise and a first step to providing universal access to a program. 

Begin with the reason why many people are a part of this industry—a participant-centered approach. Most—if not all—decisions related to the organization’s facility, staff members, and the experience offered should be centered on the participants, based on the following:

• A pre-participation assessment

  • Physical, intellectual, sensory, or behavioral needs

  • Assistive devices (i.e., wheelchairs, crutches, canes, service dogs, other)

  • Personal care or other support needed (e.g., an aide or a buddy)

• The personal goals for participants

  • Determining a history of climbing and other physical activities

  • Determining an individual’s choice on how to climb, specific routes, and session goals

Surrounding this participant-centered approach are three key areas for organizational assessment:

• Staffing

  • Examining the mindset of each staff member and the approach to  be used to help participants be successful

  • Evaluating each member’s understanding and experience in working with a variety of populations

  • Talking to each one about the type of training on a specific course or type of equipment

• Facility

  • Assessing trail and course access to see how participants will navigate the course and the facility, including restrooms/changing areas and water stations; also ensuring that participants will have some type of protection for adverse weather conditions

• Program

  • Appropriate equipment available to provide the widest range of participant choice, including specialty harnesses, seats, mechanical advantage systems, and more

  • The design of the course, considering a variety of needs, including ramps, lifts, rails, rounded edges, textures, colors, and more

  • A curriculum designed to engage a variety of people with staged levels of difficulty that incorporate participant choice

Many people dream of having an opportunity to be involved in experiences on challenge courses, aerial adventure parks, and zip lines. Working to be more welcoming to individuals will find a way to YES! 

Melanie Wills, MPH, has nearly two decades working in the industry and is passionate about using the outdoors to encourage growth, independence, and recovery in a variety of populations including those with disabilities. She has experience in program management at multiple camps and outdoor centers and is currently the Director of Operations & Development for ESI, Inc.

Carla Hacker, MS, has been working to provide universally accessible programming in the field of experiential education for many years and in a variety of settings. For the last 6 years, she has been a trainer for ESI, Inc. Along with her team, she is continuing to develop and implement training curriculum and equipment design for full inclusion on challenge courses and ziplines.