Breaking Down Barriers: SportsAbility Alliance Partners with FWC, FWFF and NextEra Energy Foundation to Provide EcoRover Chairs for Mobility Impaired Hunters

SportsAbility Alliance is thrilled to share the success of the recent FWC Mobility Impaired Hunt Kickoff Event at Blackwater Wildlife Management Area on January 31st. This event marked a significant milestone in our commitment to ensuring that everyone, regardless of ability, can experience the wonders of Florida's outdoors. We're proud to be at the forefront of this initiative, partnering with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida (FWFF), and NextEra Energy Foundation to make wild Florida more accessible than ever. The event was attended by representatives from leadership of all of our partners who shared their thoughts on the importance of this project and the support of it.

FWC is a major partner for the project and hosted the Kickoff event with a big outdoor luncheon and gave away over two thousand dollars worth of door prizes to the Mobility impaired attendees. The highlight of the event was the unveiling of two brand-new EcoRover track chairs, made possible by the generous support of NextEra Energy Foundation, the charitable arm of Florida Power & Light. These all-terrain chairs will provide individuals with mobility impairments the opportunity to explore and hunt in areas that were previously inaccessible.  Through our ALLOUT program, we will manage and deploy these chairs at various mobility impaired hunts in Florida, ensuring they reach those who will benefit most. We are dedicated to empowering individuals to embrace outdoor adventures on their own terms, and these EcoRovers are a powerful tool in achieving that goal.

This blog post was written by Jessi Wynn, SportsAbility Alliance Volunteer.

Top Adaptive Sports to Try This Winter: Stay Active and Engaged All Season

Winter adaptive sports provide a unique and rewarding way to stay active while embracing the season's magic. From the slopes to the ice rink, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. So bundle up, get involved, and discover the thrill of winter sports this season, you just might find your new favorite pastime!

I do not think anyone could have imagined the challenges that presented themselves in 2020. Beginning with quarantine and then states slowly beginning to reopen brought people new routines. One thing that did get added to many people's new routines was at-home workouts. As the summer ended and winter months approached, many resorted to outdoor activities to help improve not only their physical health but their mental health as well. Staying isolated can take a toll on a person, and some doctors have begun to write “nature prescriptions” (Ducharme, 2019).

Being outside for 20 minutes can help improve your mood and well-being.

Increased time outdoors also means an increase in the body’s intake of vitamin D, which is known to help improve the immune system, bone density, and depression.

The nature prescriptions that doctors have chosen to write are to help with overall health. Whether you walk, run, hike, bike, swim or even sit down to take in the environment or fresh air, being outside for 20 minutes can help improve your mood and well-being (Ducharme, 2019).

It can be easy to get caught up in your tasks for the day and not set aside some time for you to relax and connect with nature. If you work from home, you may never step outside some days if you do not section off part of your day to intentionally do so.

I have found recently that even just 30 minutes at the park is a good break point in my day to let me step away from work for a short time and get some exercise outdoors.

On Wednesday (September 2, 2020), FDOA presented the video below to the Accessible Transportation for Florida Town Hall event present by The Able Trust. It is so important that we consider recreation when planning accessible transportation. 

It’s a Thirty-year anniversary celebration!  The Americans with Disabilities Act created the law, but it’s been people who have changed the World.  The passing of the ADA in 1990, provided the legislation that makes it illegal to discriminate against people with disabilities.  That opened the doors for people who care, to push for establishing the specific laws, codes, regulations, and guidelines that we follow to help enable equal access and inclusion into Society.

This civil rights law has created “opportunities to participate” and have changed the lives of everyone.  The Florida Disabled Outdoors Association is also celebrating our 30 years of caring and change through our advocacy and action.  

The St. Marks Natural Wildlife Refuge has offered hunters with a mobility impairment a section of land near Sopchoppy, FL to hunt White-tailed deer for many years. This approximately 3,800 acre parcel of refuge is virgin territory to rifles and trucks before the hunt.  Mobility impaired hunters get to fire the first gunshot of the season in these woods.

The Friday hunt meeting at 3:30 pm before the Saturday opener is always like a family meal with cousins you haven't seen in a while. They draw names out of a hat for stand locations and the tension builds as pins get placed at the known "spots". Whispers from the crowd let you know when the best spot gets claimed. Rules on driving the roads, stand hours, and government regulations are showered on the whole group before people disappear down their road. Each hunter is allowed a companion hunter and the bag limits must be shared.