Accessible Utah: Everyone Can
Play In My Backyard



Splore takes people of all abilities on river trips
like this one through Cataract Canyon on the Colorado River.

I’ve recently had the pleasure of working on a project with Dr. John Librett, Executive Director of Splore; a Utah based non-profit organization that provides recreation for people with disabilities.   Conceived by Dr. Librett, the project is a national marketing campaign to brand Utah as the number one destination in the nation for adaptive recreation.

Handcycling is one of the year-round sports at the National Ability Center.

 

Adaptive recreation is recreation for people with disabilities who may require specialized equipment such as handcycles instead of bicycles, mono-skis, also known as sit-skis, for those without the use of their legs, river running rafts or kayaks that can accommodate people in wheelchairs, and so on.

Matt Lund tries adaptive skiing after a diving accident left him quadriplegic.

Utah’s one-of-a-kind geography, with its highly accessible mountains, rivers and red rock canyons is an unparalleled playground for any kind of recreation.  Combine that with a wealth of adaptive recreation organizations like Splore, the National Ability Center and others, and Utah’s terrain becomes a great big outdoor therapy clinic for those of us with physical or developmental challenges. 



Scott Parkinson is a regular golfer through the use of adaptive golf carts.

Thanks to the cooperative efforts of the Utah Office of Tourism, the campaign just took its first step forward with the publication of the Accessible Utah One-Sheet Guide.  It will be available at state and local welcome centers, adaptive recreation locations, as well as online.  In addition, a press release was issued announcing the new publication, and will be sent to key local, regional and national news media. 



Every year I support the National Ability Center's Summit Challenge.

 I’m excited to be part of this campaign.  I get evangelistic about Utah’s accessible recreation, which I get to sample every day.   As a spinal cord injury survivor, and someone with a love for the outdoors, I consider every day I get to play outside as a life sustaining privilege.  I’m  happy to help spread the word about my backyard.  I don’t mind sharing.  Just be kind to it. 
  

Here's a listing of Utah's Adaptive Recreation organizations, with links to their websites:

TRAILS
University of Utah Rehabilitation Center
50 North Medical Drive
Salt Lake City, Utah 84132
801-581-2526
Tanja Kari - Program Coordinator

The National Ability Center 
1000 Ability Way
Park City, Utah 84098
(435) 649-3991

Wasatch Adaptive Sports
Snowbird Ski & Summer Resort
Highway 210
Little Cottonwood Canyon
Snowbird, Utah 84092
(801) 933-2188

SPLORE
774 East 3300 South Suite 105
Salt Lake City, Utah 84106
(801) 484-4128

Salt Lake County Adaptive Recreation
8446 Harrison Street, Midvale, UT 84047-3501
801-559-1500‎

Common Ground Outdoor Adventures
335 N 100 E Logan, UT 84321
(435) 713-0288


Camp Kostopulos
2500 Emigration Canyon
Salt Lake City, UT 84108
801 582-0700