Wilderness Inquiry is proof that it's fine for outdoor adventurers to be frail of limb just not faint of heart!
In WI's numerous approaches to bonding with nature, far more emphasis is placed on attitude than on mobility or athletic skills. This nonprofit group headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn., is based on the precept that all people have unique abilities and can contribute something to a shared enjoyment of outdoor experiences.
Wilderness Inquiry sojourns combine adults and youths with and without disabilities on trips that offer outdoor education and adventure. Secondary benefits include instilling self-confidence, encouraging personal growth and peer relationships, providing an appreciation for people regardless of physical traits, and reducing negative stereotypes.
Along the trail, WI staffers develop adaptive equipment and ways to introduce people with disabilities to the glories of nature while teaching participants about the importance of wilderness areas to our society.
As WI likes to emphasize, these adventure excursions aren't organized FOR people with disabilities, but rather to welcome them along WITH other outdoor enthusiasts. A traveling group usually consists of a dozen people evenly divided between those with and without disabilities, plus two WI staff members. Participants range from children to the elderly, with an average age in the mid-30s and equal numbers of men and women.
A typical group could have one person in a wheelchair, another who uses a cane or crutches, two people with sensory or cognitive deficits, six able-bodied participants, and two WI staff people. Sometimes a person with a visual impairment will help push a wheelchair whose occupant provides verbal guidance.
Out in the tall and uncut, everyone pitches in.
While most Wilderness Inquiry outings occur in the upper Midwest and Canada, destinations have included horse backing in the Colorado Rockies, rafting in the Grand Canyon, canoeing through the Florida Everglades, and kayaking in the Queen Charlotte Islands. There have even been overseas junkets to places such as Australia and Europe.
Waterways Beckon
Water is the medium common to most itineraries since boats of various types allow people with mobility limitations to travel great distances with relative ease. And in the winter, when the protected Boundary Waters and the lakes of Minnesota and Canada are sealed with ice, one-person dog sleds do the honors, providing riders with great thrills as well as rosy cheeks.
Wilderness Inquiry was born during the mid-70s before the passage of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Act. Some opposed to the nature protection legislation argued that closing areas to motorized travel would limit access for the elderly, people with handicaps, and women.
Others set out to prove that it wouldn't. They ventured forth with people of mixed ages, genders, and physical strengths and failings to test both accessibility and feasibility. On those early trips, enthusiasm and optimism were frequently dented by practical dilemmas, but the "cons" weren't enough to outweigh the "pros." A novel concept in travel had arrived.
Along the way, WI founders discovered that integrating outdoor adventure shattered stereotypes and was a powerful personal experience. Beyond being fun, the WI approach has proven to be effective in encouraging social integration a goal more readily achieved when people are removed from their usual locales and routines. Another barrier breaker is that the indifference of the wilderness forces people to work together to provide basic needs of food and shelter. Although contributions toward these goals may not be identical, they can be of equal value.
A further benefit of Wilderness Inquiry outings is that the beauty of nature tends to build a bond between people. In sharing an appreciation for the glories of unspoiled areas, fellow travelers also gain insights into what makes themselves and others unique and valuable. Additionally, exposure to the demands of nature gives participants a way to challenge themselves and to learn new skills, along with gaining confidence to face and conquer situations in their everyday lives.
Trips range from several days to over two weeks. Prices vary from a low of $120 to over $2,000 for an extended rafting excursion through the Grand Canyon. Support from a number of organizations helps keep fees under actual costs, and information can be obtained from WI as to financial assistance.
Mixed Groups
Usually, half the members of a Wilderness Inquiry group have some type of disabling condition. An amputation poses few, if any, difficulties on these excursions as long as a prosthesis is water-tolerant. People with the following conditions regularly sign up for the outback adventures: arthritis, asthma, autism, visual and hearing impairments, developmental disability, diabetes, epilepsy, muscular dystrophy, mental retardation, multiple sclerosis, post-polio, spina bifida, spinal cord injury, stroke, and Tourette syndrome. There are few medical qualifications. However, participants are expected to take care of their own personal hygiene needs.
Calendar Skips Fall
The 1996 Wilderness Inquiry schedule offers nearly 100 outings from late December through early October. Fall appears to be a down time, probably since it's too cold for water ventures in the brisk Minnesota/Canada area, and too early for the ice and snows of winter.
In addition to a full menu of adventure travel, WI teaches free outdoor skills clinics on Minnesota public lands, offers special programs for youth and for military veterans, and advises federal bodies that manage wilderness lands how to make such areas accessible to people with disabilities. A major segment of WI's mission is to train others in how to introduce people with disabilities to the glories of pristine lands and waters. And a beneficial byproduct of all of this nature immersion has been the development and refinement of adaptive equipment devices that ease traveling through rugged areas.
That's an impressive list of contributions for an organization that, since 1978, has led over 30,000 people into the tall and uncut. If you still haven't packed your bags, perhaps obtaining a full WI 1996 itinerary may do the trick. Wilderness Inquiry is located at 1313 Fifth St. S.E., Box 84, Minneapolis, MN 55414-1546. Questions may also be directed to 1-800-728-0719. Locally, the phone (voice or TTY) is 612-379-3858, and the FAX number is 612-379-5972.
A Sporting Chance ...
This issue of InMotion included a complimentary copy of "Keeping Fit: Resources for Active Living" a new booklet detailing recreational opportunities aimed primarily at amputees. The 16-page guide covers major benefits to be found in some of today's most popular sports golf, jogging, aerobics, weight training, swimming, scuba diving, and tennis.
Produced by the O & P Almanac: The Magazine for the Orthotics and Prosthetics Profession, the booklet includes listings of sports organizations and companies that can assist people with disabilities in discovering the healthful and enjoyable aspects of an active lifestyle.
Additional copies of the guide may still be available. Contact the Orthotics & Prosthetics National Office, Customer Service Center, 1650 King St., Suite 500, Alexandria, VA 22314.
