Breaking Boundaries with Abilities In Motion
“All have a right to access activity on their terms. Inclusion is a practice that allows individuals to participate to their ability. This is a self-exploration of fundamental skill development that contributes to overall health and a life-time of leisure activities and learning physical pursuits. Our mission is to break barriers of accessibility to on-water recreational activities to individuals with disabilities.”
Abilities In Motion (AIM) was developed from an idea that Pauline Halstead had in the year 2000. She wanted to ensure that everyone, no matter their circumstances, could reap the benefits that on-water recreational activities provide and with that, she set out to take people with various needs and abilities kayaking.
For the next nine years, she would work to tailor boats to various locations, eventually finding a permanent home in Alliston, ON, at Earl Rowe Provincial Park. The park has played an instrumental role in helping AIM implement its programs by allowing the organization to build a boathouse, extend its boat ramp, and modify a dock to accommodate a personal lift used for the transportation of a person from a wheelchair into a watercraft. By 2009, they evolved from what they described as a “ma and pa” operation to a fully incorporated non-profit organization with the mission of breaking barriers of accessibility to on-water recreational activities for individuals with disabilities. It was around this time that Andy Ownes joined the team. As an experienced Ontario Recreational Canoeing and Kayaking Association (ORCKA) instructor, he brought his love and expertise for canoeing into the mix. Andy continues to work with AIM today as the Site Coordinator at the Alliston location, though they now have another established location in London, Ontario.
AIM offers adaptive kayaking and canoeing programs that are currently free to anyone with a disability. Whether it be using a lift to get in and out of a boat or being towed along in a catamaran, Andy and Abilities In Motion are providing individuals with an aspect of environmental appreciation that can’t be achieved from the shoreline. They have experience working with a variety of physical and intellectual disabilities. This includes but is not limited to paraplegia, quadriplegia, multiple sclerosis, cerebral palsy, hemiplegia, polio, dystrophy, polio, absent or reduced limb functions, intellectual and learning disabilities, psychiatric disabilities, seeing and hearing impairments, and neurological disabilities.
Each member comes from a unique background, some of whom had previously loved paddling but now require some type of assistance or adaptation to the vessel and others who simply sit on board and take in nature from beyond the shoreline. No matter the person, AIM is able to provide a safe environment for them to get out on the water. For many, this type of experience is invaluable. Being out on a boat surrounded by water allows recreators to feel freer while gaining a wider perspective of the world around them. Andy uses this time on the water to remind individuals of the historical significance that both canoes and kayaks played in the role of Canada as we know it today.
This year, AIM has launched a fundraising campaign called “Hands Across The Water” to help share the love of on-water recreational paddling and help create inclusive environments for Canadians with all abilities. To learn more about Abilities in Motion and Hands Across The Water visit: https://www.abilitiesinmotion.ca/
