Nonprofit Spotlight: Adaptive Outdoors
During the month of June Outdoor Prolink is proud to have Adaptive Adventures as our featured nonprofit during checkout. Every year, Outdoor Prolink partners with nonprofits to give back to organizations we align with. To honor these amazing nonprofits, we’re spotlighting each one and sharing why you should care about their missions too.
Adaptive Adventures was founded in 1999 by two outdoor enthusiasts – both of whom also just so happened to be living with a physical disability. Passionate about expanding accessible recreation, they set out to redefine inclusivity in the outdoors, and Adaptive Adventures was born.
What makes Adaptive Adventures unique/sets the organization apart?
We are fortunate to be led by an incredible team and board of directors composed of many individuals living with physical disabilities themselves, ensuring the voices of the community we serve are represented at all levels of organizational leadership. We are also the only organization in the country with a fully mobile operational model, allowing us to expand inclusive outdoor programs to underserved regions of the country.
Lastly, our programs are provided at no cost, and are open to not only individuals living with physical disabilities, but also their families, friends, or caregivers. Donations and partnerships are how we break down the financial barrier and include the needed equipment, safety gear, and accessible accommodations required for participation. Through these efforts, we are able to ensure we fulfill our mission to remove as many barriers to accessibility as possible, whether by location, financial need, or community support.
What are some upcoming initiatives Adaptive Adventures is working on?
Adaptive Adventures is excited to continue expanding our progressive outdoor programs to underserved communities, but we’re also continuing to expand our areas of focus to increasing educational opportunities, innovating technologies supporting accessible recreation, and strengthening our partnerships with industry leaders and retailers to continue normalizing adaptations in the outdoors.
Our Student Solutions Program partners our community participants with engineering students, working to design accessible advancements for adventurers living with physical disabilities, while our staff provide feedback, support, and lived experience for students over the course of their project. With the grand opening of our Adaptive Education Center in 2025, we are now able to provide premier learning experiences on-site – inviting key stakeholders to learn hands-on accessible practices, hosting educational seminars with community partners, and so much more.
How can the people of the outdoor industry support the work Adaptive Adventures is doing?
We envision building an environment where individuals with physical disabilities have equitable access to explore outdoor adventures by focusing on independence, community, health, and wellness. Our dream is to normalize adaptation, and for those who dream the same dream, there are a number of ways you can support our efforts. You can make a difference by sponsoring your favorite outdoor recreational non-profit providing adaptive recreation in your own community, by inviting disability advocates into decision-making spaces, or by adjusting design standards to include disability considerations first, rather than last. When accessibility and inclusion are the baseline, instead of the bonus, everyone benefits!
If Adaptive Adventures was an ice cream flavor, which flavor would it be and why?
Rocky Road: like the best adventures, it’s more about the journey than the destination! Whether highs or lows, every spoonful is slightly different, yet always delicious.
