"You can discover more about a person in an hour of play then in a year of conversation" - Plato
The SOAR-CPRP (Sports and Outdoor Assistive Recreation Community Parks and Recreation Project) was active in developing assistive recreation within the state of Wyoming. Partnerships with nine community parks and recreation departments were formed with the purpose of including persons with disabilities in current programs. These recreation departments assisted in demonstrating assistive recreational equipment at a demonstration day and received staff training to accommodate persons with disabilities so that inclusion of people with disabilities into recreation programs continues throughout the state.
Communities that hosted a SOAR demonstration include:
These communities welcome people with disabilities to register for their programs. They would like to meet with any one who needs special accommodation prior to the beginning of the preferred activity in order to provide appropriate assistance. People with disabilities and their family members are encouraged to approach their local recreation departments for inclusion into their programs. The local departments welcome more individuals with disabilities into their activities and look forward to you discovering the endless benefits of recreation!
In addition to community Parks and Recreation Departments, outdoor entities that partnered with the first SOAR grant are in operation around the state as well. The following organizations/businesses received training and assistive equipment to encourage participation in the Wyoming outdoors:
Wyoming Game and Fish Department
Equipment for fishing and hunting is available for loan.
Contact: Janet Milek, (307) 777-4670.
Hogadon Ski Area- Casper, WY
Adaptive ski services available including instruction and equipment rentals.
Contact: Gary Vantrease (307) 235-8499.
Jackson Hole Ski School- Jackson, WY
Adaptive ski lessons and specialized equipment rentals.
(800) 450-0477 or (307) 739-2663.
Mad River Boat Trips- Jackson, WY
(307) 733-6203
Little America Resort- Cheyenne, WY
An adaptive golf cart is available to use at the 9-hole course on grounds.
Contact Eric at (307) 775-8500.
Helluva Hunt
A non-profit organization hosting an annual antelope hunt for people with disabilities. The only fee participants pay is for there transportation to the hunt. Fifteen hunters are accommodated yearly. Individuals who use wheelchairs or have blindness have participated in the past. Contact Gary Stearns at (307) 358-6580 for more information.
The National Center on Physical Disability and Activity sends out a monthly e-publication with topics regarding people with disabilties and physical fitness. For more information, go to www.ncapad.org.
The National Park Service under the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) is working with the National Center on Accessibility at Indiana University to retrofit facilities within the national parks for accessibility. To find these services in specific parks go to www.nps.gov/parks.html. Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks in WY have maps detailing accessible features in the parks available at Visitor’s Centers.
The Golden Access Passport is a free lifetime entrance pass to those federally-operated parks, monuments, historic sites, recreation areas and national wildlife refuges administered by the federal government which charges entrance fees. It is issued to any citizen or permanent resident of the U.S. who has been medically determined to be blind or permanently disabled and as a result, is eligible to receive benefits under federal law. It also provides a 50 % discount on most federal use fees charged for facilities and services such as camping, boat launching, parking, and so on. The Golden Access Passport admits the permit holder and any accompanying passengers in a single party, private, noncommercial vehicle. Where entry is not by private car, the passport admits the permit holder, spouse and children.
How Do I Get One? A Golden Access Passport must be obtained in person. They are not available by mail. You must show proof of eligibility (the Social Security Notice is preferred). It is available at most federally operated recreation areas where it may be used. Thus, it is not necessary to obtain a passport before beginning a vacation trip.
A list of adaptive equipment with vendor resources is available on this web site. If you need more information about obtaining an equipment loan, please contact WIND at (307) 766-2085.
This is a project within the University of Wyoming, College of Health Sciences, in cooperation with Wyoming Institute for Disabilities. This program is funded by grant #H128J60194 from the U.S. Department of Education.