Call for participants! Opening the Door to Nature

Call for participants! Opening the Door to Nature

Empowering wheelchair users to explore the great outdoors

There’s overwhelming evidence that spending extended time outdoors has enormous health and wellbeing benefits, yet for those in a wheelchair physical barriers make it difficult to enjoy those benefits in many of our natural environments. Regardless of ability, everyone should be able to explore wild places together and enjoy the healing power of nature.

District Council of Yankalilla has partnered with City of Mitcham, the Legatus group of Councils (central SA), Department for Environment and Water and UniSA to improve access to the great outdoors for people with disabilities.

Project Manager Lisa Pearson is calling for participants with a lived experience of disability. She’s looking for people to take part in the pilot initiative to:

• Participate in group excursion/s using eTrike electric-assist all-terrain wheelchairs (multiple dates available). Requires reasonable upper body strength and good dexterity (hand control) to operate the twist throttle and steering mechanism.
• Free hire of MT Push wheelchairs for use on selected trails across the district (available 7 days a week). This is a buddy chair with steering and brakes operated by a buddy via an adjustable push handle.
• Join a local reference group to inform this project and more broadly to help Council better understand the needs and consequently improve the lives of people with disabilities who live, work and visit our District.

The project is not just about being able to access natural environments, it’s about not being socially excluded from outdoor activities with friends and family – enjoying time in nature with peers and loved ones.

To participate in this project as a wheelchair user, buddy or a member of the local reference group, or for more information please contact Lisa Pearson at lisapearson@yankalilla.sa.gov.au or phone 0419 704 912.

eTrike

MT Push Chair