| Challenge Magazine Summer 05
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| Take
it Outside – Summer is here and the great outdoors beckons. As thousands of outdoorspeople take to the wild to fish and hunt, many people with disabilities who have the desire to take part may think those activities aren’t open to them. However, as groups like Fishing Has No Boundaries (FHNB) and Buckmasters American Deer Foundation (BADF) Disabled Services have shown countless times, hunting and fishing are very accessible to people with disabilities. And they’re only two of the many organizations available to help a disabled sportsperson head outdoors. All it takes is the desire, the support of some like-minded friends, and maybe some adaptive equipment. If you supply the desire, you’ll find the rest of the ingredients are readily available. Just about everyone, including those with quadruple
amputations, vision loss, and stroke survivors, is able to experience
the thrill of catching a fish or being part of a hunt. FISHING “There are many people who have fished all of their lives, then they incur a disability and kind of give up,” said Pat, a volunteer for FHNB in Hayward, Wisconsin. “They see their disabilities as insurmountable. Then, their families urge them to get back into the stream of life and they find it’s not impossible. We had one man who hadn’t fished for years. He came just once to one of our events, and now he takes his son fishing in Canada every year. It opens doors.” For people with limited mobility who want to head out onto the water, one of the first challenges is finding the appropriate vessel to go on, according to Dr. Robert Weber, E.E.D, who teaches adaptive physical education at the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh, and heads UW-Oshkosh’s FHNB chapter. If a wheelchair-user is able to transfer to a boat, he or she can sit in a regular seat, with or without a lap belt for support. And many of the newer boats have fairly flat front decks that may help with the transition from pier to boat. “But most wheelchair users are most comfortable on a pontoon boat where they have the use of their regular wheelchair when they’re on the water,” Weber said. Getting a wheelchair onto a pontoon boat is quite easy. Most resorts, disabled fishing events, and professional guide services have pontoon boats available. For those who don’t have ready access to a boat or just want to head out for a few hours of fishing, a public access pier may provide the answer. “Most communities that put out a pier have to be in compliance with ADA requirements, which means they have to be wheelchair accessible,” Weber said. “But I’m sure there’s a variance in piers. In some places the requirements aren’t enforced or might be interpreted differently.” Optimally, piers should be 8’ wide –
wide enough to allow a wheelchair user to stop and maneuver safely.
Most state governments have Web sites that list outdoor resources,
including public access piers. Check your state government’s
Web pages. SAFETY Most, if not all, states require that boaters
have enough personal flotation devices for all on board. All participants
in FHNB events are required to wear life jackets, which is a good
idea for anyone fishing from a boat or a pier. Brakes can let loose,
and wheelchairs can roll, so special care should be taken when a
wheelchair is used around water. “But a life preserver won’t support
the weight of the wheelchair,” Dr. Weber said. “A power
chair can weigh 400 lbs. Unless the person needs a lap belt for
support, we recommend they keep their belt free.” ADAPTIVE EQUIPMENT Fortunately, however, if you can get to where the fish are, adaptive fishing equipment exists to make fishing accessible to just about everyone.
“There are all sorts of ways to get people fishing,” said Pat of FHNB. “There are ergonomic rods that are much easier for people with limited strength, rod holders, wrist straps – sometimes the volunteers design something all on their own for individual fishermen.” All types of rod holders exist – ones that fasten to a boat or wheelchair, straps to the user’s chest, or which the user sits on – to hold the rod comfortably for those who have limited or no use of their hands. For instance, the One-Armed Fishing Bandit (www.howellstackle.com) was designed by a stroke survivor for people who can only use one arm. The Strong Arm (www. accesstr.com) is a versatile fishing rod holder that straps to the user’s arm, making it suitable for anyone with limited or no grip. There are also numerous reels available to make casting and reeling in accessible to everyone. Companies such as Elec-Tra-Mate (www.elec-tra-mate.com) and John’s Reels have a variety of electric reels that are designed to reel in even the biggest catch at the touch of a button. However, the John’s Reel, for instance, is not a simple “fishing winch…You still set the drag, play the fish, and experience the feel of the fight,” according to the manufacturer. It is available in several options, including a remote push-button or remote joystick operation for high-level quadriplegics. Some reels, such as Van’s Easy Cast, can
even cast for you and, Dr. Weber said, work is progressing on puff
control reels that can cast and retrieve. Dr. Weber advises that there are many Rotary Club International groups around the country that have tackle-loaning programs for people who don’t fish on a regular basis. There are many groups that exist to open the world of fishing to people with disabilities. FHNB can help you find those organizations, answer questions on adaptive fishing equipment, events, how others have adapted to a specific disability, and how to start your own chapter. For many of the participants, one event is all it takes to get them hooked on fishing. “We’ve had people between 6 and 91,” Dr. Weber said. “It’s something you can do for a lifetime, something you can do with family and friends, something that you can readily adapt to a variety of different situations or abilities. “You get out on a boat and have the light
rocking of the waves soothe and relax you. You experience the joy
of just being outside, the camaraderie, the excitement of catching
a fish, getting the fresh air, and the sunshine.” HUNTING In 1973, when he was 13, David Sullivan’s leg was amputated below the knee.
“One of the main challenges I faced as an amputee wanting to hunt, was hunting on public property since the forest and public areas were closed to vehicular access.” In 1988, he went on the first-ever disabled hunt in Alabama, hosted by the U.S. Corps of Engineers. At the event, David met other disabled hunters, most in wheelchairs, and the common complaint was there were no opportunities for people with mobility impairments. Soon thereafter, he founded Alabama Handicapped Sportsmen to work to increase the opportunities for hunters with disabilities. In 1993, they joined forces with Buckmasters American Deer Foundation (BADF), a non-profit arm of the company that publishes a magazine and produces a television series. David is now director of disabled hunter services for BADF. BADF has about 100 chapters across the country that raise funds and host disabled hunts and provides adaptive hunting equipment for people at no charge. Working with sponsors, the equipment is awarded to disabled hunters following a grant-like process. Since 1996, they’ve awarded 66 grants and hope to provide another 30 this year. In addition to providing equipment, offering advice, and staging disabled hunts, Sullivan and BADF is willing to help anyone develop a local chapter or organize their own challenged hunts.
“Since we started running these challenged hunting programs over the years, we’ve seen more states adopt special accommodations for handicapped hunters,” Sullivan said. Alabama now has a trail of 17 facilities that are just for challenged hunters, Sullivan said. Disabled hunters call to reserve the property and sign out a particular area. They’re wheelchair accessible and have motor vehicle access. If finding a place to hunt is the first issue facing a disabled hunter, the second is having a hunting partner or someone to assist in the hunt, Sullivan said. “When someone, even an arm amputee, harvests a deer they normally have to have someone assist them in caring for the game and retrieving it.” Hunting partners also provide support and camaraderie. Sullivan said, “For the people we go hunting with, it’s a sort of rehabilitation in a way. There’s a lot of benefit that’s provided by peer support, so we do a lot of group events where we have anywhere from 2 to 44 hunters.” He added, “Many of the people we work with were hunters before their disability and, for some reason or other, they think that part of their lives is over and they won’t be able to enjoy any kind of quality,” Sullivan said. “We can show them otherwise – that they can participate in the outdoors successfully with their disabilities.” He added, “It takes a little determination
and a lot of help to begin with, but regardless of the disability,
there’s some way to adapt to it.” ADAPTIVE DEVICES For sportsmen who have difficulty holding, aiming, or shooting a gun or rifle, there are a variety of adaptive devices available. “Every disability is different,” Sullivan said, “so there’s no one piece of equipment that will meet everyone’s needs.” Since much of the adaptive equipment used is homemade or custom made, BADF has put together a videotape, available for a nominal shipping cost, that consists of footage sent in by other disabled hunters showing what they had devised for themselves. Many people use it for inspiration in developing their own adaptive devices.
For those who would rather buy commercially manufactured devices, there are quite a few sources available. Some of the gun rests, such as the BIPOD Shooting Stick (bipodshootingsticks.com) simply hold the gun. Others like the HQ (High Quad) 100 available from Be Adaptive Equipment (www.beadaptive.com) are designed for those with no hand or arm movement and can be operated completely by the arm and chin. Some trigger activators, such as the TM100, also from Be Adaptive Equipment, are sip actuated and some, such as the Trigger Activator JT45 available at Access to Recreation (www.accesstr.com), are simple cranks that attach to the trigger mechanism. For many disabled hunters just knowing that the equipment exists and is available has reopened their door to the outdoors. “We’ve had so many people,” Sullivan said, “that have been given a new spark just to get out and shoot or hunt again just by making the equipment available.” BADF also maintains a mailing list, many of which go out to other organizations, “so if a landowner calls me today, I can put a hunt together by tomorrow,” Sullivan said. “We exist to create those opportunities for disabled hunters,” Sullivan said. “The older I get, the more I realize the value of hunting, not just as an activity, but it’s a social thing. It’s something that you can do and pass on to your children.” He added, “We just want to be sure that everybody knows that there are people out there to help them.” Fishing/Hunting Resources ORGANIZATIONS: Buckmasters American Deer Foundation- www.badf.org/DisabledHunters.html NRA Disabled Shooting Services- www.nrahq.org/compete/disabled.asp EQUIPMENT: Access to Recreation-www.accesstr.com or http://store.accesstr.com/page.cfm/PageID/71 Elec-Tra-Mate- www.elec-tra-mate.com Rotary Club International Groups (contact your local Rotary Club to find out if they offer the tackle-loaning program)- www.rotary.org Hunting: BIPOD Shooting Sticks- www.bipodshootingsticks.com Be Adaptive Equipment LLC- www.beadaptive.com Access to Recreation-www.accesstr.com or
http://store.accesstr.com/page.cfm/PageID/71 |
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| Challenge • Summer 2005 • Pages 29-31 | |||||||||
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