Mission Statement

    Accessibility factors significantly impact the opportunities for a person with a disability to participate as an active and contributing member of a community. Physical barriers such as stairs, nonfunctional elevators, piles of snow left in the wrong spot, lack of appropriate and available parking places, lack of curb cuts, merchandise stacked in aisles, display racks placed too closely together, and lack of signage affect accessibility. However, accessibility goes beyond this.

    A person with a disability is more frequently limited by the attitudes of the able-bodied. Many able-bodied people see a person with a disability and all too often assume this individual can’t. Can’t hold a meaningful career. Can’t contribute with intelligence and creativity. Can’t make well thought out and appropriate decisions. Can’t make effective medical decisions on their own behalf. Can’t support themselves. Can’t take care of their children. Can’t take care of themselves. Can’t manage a home. Can’t grocery shop on their own. Can’t push their own wheelchair. Can’t open a door. Can’t reach an item on a high shelf. Can’t ski. Can’t ride a bike. The able-bodied person then often exhibits an attitude of pity and they rush in to help, even if help isn’t needed.

    These attitudes, at best, are frustrating and discouraging to a person with a disability. At worst, they actually result in a situation of learned helplessness in which an individual with a disability believes they can’t, and they live their life never reaching their full potential. Nevertheless, many people with disabilities are living active, valuable and productive lives which often include vibrant careers, adaptive sports, travel and politics.

    Usually these less then ideal attitudes displayed by the able-bodied are merely a result of a lack of familiarity and knowledge. Able-bodied individuals are generally well-meaning and truly just want to help, but they don’t understand the capabilities, needs and desires of persons with disabilities. However, this lack of understanding combined with a lack of physical accessibility makes an economic impact on a community. People with disabilities, many of whom have thriving careers and have discretionary income, make their decisions about where to live, where to vacation, and where to shop based on these accessibility factors.

    According to the US Census of 2000, there were 49.7 million people age five and older in the U.S. with some type of disability. That is a ratio of nearly one in five U.S. citizens, or 19%. The same census indicated that there were 638,654 people age five and older in Colorado with a disability. To bring it down to Summit County, in 2000, there were 2,358 people age five and older with a disability.

    It is very likely that the next census will show an increase in these figures due to increasing numbers of veterans returning home from Iraq and Afghanistan with permanent injuries. With improvements in protective gear and medical treatment, more soldiers are surviving wounds that in previous wars would have been fatal. However, our veterans are surviving with disabilities such as traumatic brain injury, amputations, spinal cord injuries including paralysis, and vision and hearing loss. The US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) reported that as of June 2007 there were approximately 202,000 claims filed for VA disability benefits from soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

    Here in Summit County, our tourism based economy is significantly impacted by disabled athletes coming to participate in adaptive sports with Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center (BOEC) at their Breckenridge and Keystone sites. BOEC offers adaptive sports opportunities and wilderness courses for both the winter and summer seasons. During the 2006-2007 ski season, they served 851 adaptive skiers and snowboarders for 2,780 skier days. These athletes came from 36 states and 9 foreign countries. During BOEC’s fiscal year of October 1, 2006 through September 30, 2007, they served 939 disabled individuals in their Wilderness Program for a total of 3,582 programming days.

    The largest adaptive snow sport event in the nation, the Hartford Ski Spectacular, is held by Disabled Sports USA and hosted by BOEC. It occurs the first week of December each year at Breckenridge Ski Resort. This year’s event drew over 800 participants, including many disabled veterans.

    We are starting to find disabled skiers participating in other athletic events in Summit County. Adaptive soldiers and veterans are now snow riding in the military’s annual SnoFest ski weekend at Keystone each January. Skiers with disabilities are also participating in 36 Hours of Keystone. In addition, the Special Olympics Colorado Winter Games are held at Copper Mountain each March, including more than 375 athletes.

    Challenge Aspen, an adaptive sports organization based in the Aspen Valley conducted a survey during the 2002-2003 ski season to determine what economic impact their skiers with disabilities were making in the Aspen Valley. They surveyed each of their participants to determine how much money they, and the family and friends that came along with them, spent in the Aspen Valley while participating in Challenge Aspen winter programs. Air fare and fees paid directly to Challenge Aspen were not included. However, everything else, such as lift tickets and rentals for family and friends, lodging, restaurants, shopping and gas, was included. Their survey revealed that each participant brought an average of 4.5 family members and friends with them on their vacation. Over that ski season, approximately $1.2 million was spent in the Aspen Valley by these clients and the others that came with them.

    During the time of this survey, Challenge Aspen had 472 participants skiing and snowboarding for 1,984 skier days. Compare that to BOEC in Summit County with 851 participants skiing and snowboarding during the 2006-2007 ski season with 2,780 skier days. Start doing the math. Add in BOEC’s Wilderness Program, the Hartford Ski Spectacular, SnoFest, 36 Hours of Keystone, and Special Olympics Colorado Winter Games. Figure in inflation for the four years difference. You’re starting to get the picture.

    These athletes with disabilities and their family and friends become a marketing tool. They return to their homes and then recommend our ski resorts, hotels, restaurants, and shops (or don’t recommend them) to others. The disability community has many resources, including magazines and web sites, in which they share their traveling experiences with each other. They are more likely to come to our community for their vacation if they have heard from another traveler with disabilities that we are accessible. The ease and comfort of the experience of one traveler with a disability who comes to Summit County and surrounding areas will result in a snowball effect, bringing in more tourists or causing tourists to choose another location for their next vacation.

    The disability community is an unrecognized economic powerhouse. I encourage you to consider learning more about the capabilities, needs and desires of people with disabilities, not just because it’s the humanitarian thing to do and it vastly improves the quality of life of individuals with disabilities, but also because it will positively impact the economics of our local economy. Allow me to bring you to a new understanding.