Float trips are a common summertime diversion in Missouri. Singles, couples, families, and children of all ages enjoy the fun of floating Missouri Rivers. However, there is a group of people that is not well represented in the float trip demography; people with disabilities. For years, people with disabilities have been discouraged from floating because it’s too dangerous. Hogwash!
Disabilities cover a wide range of abilities and/or limitations, but having a disability does not automatically exclude a person from a canoe, kayak, or inner tube. Safety is, of course, the primary concern, but accommodations can be made to ensure a safe trip. An accommodation is a change in the normal way of doing things that allows a person with disabilities to participate in activities whether it’s a job or recreational.
The first step is to evaluate the type of disability. Johns Hopkins University lists nine umbrella categories of disabilities: learning, physical, medical, psychiatric, speech and language difficulties, blindness or low vision, deafness or hard-of-hearing, brain injuries, and attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders. Is this a learning issue such as a form of autism? Perhaps, the disability is physical such as a spinal injury or someone who is wheelchair bound. Other disabilities are considered medical such as multiple sclerosis or fibromyalgia. Speech and language disabilities may prevent someone from yelling for help.
In every case, the primary care physician should be consulted to determine if there is a reason that this person should not float. With the doctor’s ok, it’s time to decide if the person in question would enjoy a floating activity. If so, then what activities would be best suited and what would give that person the most pleasure?
Determining triggers that cause anxiety or pain is a major factor. For example, autistic children tend to have a hypersensitivity to sounds. It might not be a good idea to float on a weekend due to the large number of people and the louder than normal noise factor. The accommodation is to float on a weekday when it’s much quieter.
Choosing the right kind of flotation device is imperative as well. An arm amputee is not going to enjoy paddling as much as he or she would enjoy a leisurely float on a raft. By the same token, a person with a medical disability such as Parkinson’s disease would do better in a raft or kayak with a lower center of gravity as compared to a canoe which is more prone to tipping.
Low vision or blindness should not keep a person from a float trip. There are four other senses to use and enjoy. While this person may not be leading the way, he can still enjoy the sounds of nature, the feel of the water, the smell of fresh air, the taste of float trip delicacies like s’mores.
The same applies for someone who’s deaf or hard-of-hearing. There are other senses to enjoy and other ways to communicate. Whether you’re using sign language or just vibrations from tapping the paddle against the side of the canoe, a meaningful exchange can easily occur.
If you’re floating with a disability or going with a disabled friend for the first time, it’s important to start small and increase the distance and difficulty level with practice. Start out when the river is at a good level, not too low to drag the whole way nor too high to make the current run too swiftly. Follow safety rules such as life jackets on at all times. Choose the water craft best suited to your needs, and go on a day that will ensure an enjoyable trip.
People with disabilities can benefit from the healthy exercise involved with floating as well as enjoy the benefits of getting in touch with nature. I’m predicting the next wave of future floaters will be those who’ve mistakenly believed they couldn’t do it.
After all, it’s just like Henry Ford said, “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right.”
