Try It Events to help those with disabilities to enjoy paths and trails
Offering the adaptive equipment and coaching needed to take those first important steps in our beautiful parks
At See It events we have held this fall, parents and professionals caring for those with Intellectual / Developmental Disabilities and/or Autism (IDA) have shared with us how much they would love to enjoy walking or biking with those they care for. The specialized equipment on view, other resources we can point parents and professionals to, and the questions we can try to answer about how all of these might work for a particular person with IDA certainly helped them to imagine the possibilities. But sometimes seeing and touching the equipment and talking about it is just not enough, so we are very excited to be able to offer Try It events in local parks. Check our Events page regularly for the latest schedule to be updated weekly as we confirm more events!
I learned that trying the equipment makes all the difference when I wondered about skiing with Margot... a day spent at the National Sports Center for the Disabled helped me imagine how a snow slider might give her the support she needed while still building her balance and strength. That was the first step to opening up a new world for Margot. We would love to help others take their first steps!! Maybe it will it begins when a parent or professional sees just how easy it is to push a loved one in the kind of specialized strollers we make available at Try It events?
Maybe it will be a spin on a specialized Wike trailer attached to one of the E-Bikes we will have available (see left)? I have had a lot of fun introducing Margot's aides to e-bikes: with the whoop each let out as they took off, I imagined them re-living the thrill of their first bike ride! We think that pairing an e-bike with the Wike trailer will be a game-changer for many parents: those who have not biked in years - and others who simply doubt that they are fit enough - will quickly recognize how the pedal assist eliminates the stress of even the steepest of inclines. Worried about the need to pedal hard when getting started? Just use the available throttle, an especially helpful feature when towing someone heavier. The model we selected that combines all of these features - a Trek Townie Go (see above) - also offers a much more comfortable riding position for those getting used to being back on the saddle. All Try It events are also held at parks that provide access to Multi Use Paths where a parent or professional can try an E-Bike on their own, try riding alongside a coach towing a trailer with their child, or try towing their child themselves while a coach rides alongside.
Experienced at walking paved paths but hesitant to try a natural surface trail with a more variable surface? Some of our Try It events will take place at parks with natural (e.g., dirt or grass) trails rated as Easy or Very Easy using our ASCENT system. For example, we will host some Try It events at White Clay Creek Preserve because it provides ready access to the PennDel trail: while the section heading south from the main parking lot is a multi-use trail offering a firm, smooth gravel surface, the section heading east begins with a level but firm natural surface that varies in width, with easy obstacles often found on other natural trails encountered later.
No matter how one takes these first steps, there is nothing more reassuring than having a second pair of experienced hands available when trying something new, so we will also have experienced staff on hand to accompany a parent or professional on a short walk or ride at Try It events. Almost everyone caring for someone with IDA can tell you about outings gone awry.... while these experiences can make for GREAT stories, it is no surprise that they can also make a parent or professional hesitate to try something new. And I see this hesitation in Margot's staff the first time I ask them they are trying something new outdoors with her. So I have learned not to under-estimate the stress involved in trying a new adventure.
Not quite ready to take these steps? Take a ride alongside your child in one of our pedicabs piloted by a Kennett Outdoors coach at one of our Try It events. Our experience riding along with Cycling Without Age suggests that there will be many smiles all around, like those of Margot pictured above and to the right . We think that this will motivate parents and professionals to imagine doing more.
As a bonus, Try It events will also help to introduce people to some of our more popular parks, paths and trails. Our goal over the coming year is to rotate events across Chester County parks that support a bike ride or a walk on a shared use path. We will also prioritize locations that have accessible restrooms, sites of natural or historical interest, and/or Very Easy natural surface trails (like White Clay Creek Preserve which has all of these!). This way, parents or professionals might get experience walking or biking on paths they can continue to use in the future.
Stay tuned for some other ways we hope to help parents and professionals take these first steps.
Need more than one outing with a coach before you feel comfortable striking out on your own? We hope to be soon be able to offer up to 3 individualized coaching sessions to persons in the region.
Need more time with the equipment before committing the funds needed to buy your own? We are considering a program to loan Wikes to parents or programs who complete the coaching sessions referenced above.
Is a Wike out of reach? We are working on partnerships and funding to offer a limited number of Wikes at - or maybe even below - cost to eligible families who have completed (1) and (2).
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