Breaking Water with Kevin Penny
Swim Drink Fish is highlighting members of our incredible ecosystem. This Breaking Water segment features Kevin Penny. Based out of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Kevin and his partner, Dee Osmond, document their explorations online through their social media platforms titled Accessible Adventures.
Could you please introduce yourself and tell us about your personal connection to water?
My name is Kevin Penny, and I suffered a spinal cord injury in 1991. Prior to my injury, I was very athletic and enjoyed many sports. After my injury, there were fewer and fewer opportunities for me to enjoy sports other than as a spectator. In 2006, I was introduced to the sport of adaptive sailing and was immediately addicted. Being able to be on the water has given me a level of freedom. Utilizing assistive technology and an adaptive sailboat, I can sail the boat independently both leisurely and competitively.
Could you tell us about Accessible Adventures and what inspired you to share your stories online?
Accessible Adventurers is a social media platform started by my girlfriend and I in 2017. We decided to share our stories online as we thought we did some cool things around accessibility and adapting to our environment to ensure we could still enjoy outdoor activities together. After gaining momentum on our social media platforms, we found out that many individuals had similar situations and were always looking for accessible things to do within our community. This platform allowed us to share first-hand some of the fun things we can do despite my physical limitations.
As a leader in advocacy around the outdoors and accessibility, how would you describe our current societal situation when it comes to being inclusive in the environmental and outdoors community?
To be honest, we have come a long way since I sustained a spinal cord injury. Our community has become much more inclusive by supporting persons with disabilities within their environment and allowing them to participate in outdoor activities. For example, many beaches in our province are becoming more and more accessible with specialized mats, floating beach wheelchairs, and accessible amenities such as washrooms. There is still a long way to go, but we are on the right path!
In your opinion, what are the most important steps in achieving truly inclusive access to outdoor and environmental spaces?
Attitude is the biggest barrier when it comes to achieving truly inclusive access to outdoor and environmental spaces. It takes a strong will to change people’s attitudes that persons with disabilities deserve equal access to opportunities within our community. Once these attitudinal barriers are removed, change can happen, and our environment can become much more inclusive for everyone.
Do you have anything else that you’d like to share about accessibility adventures, disability awareness or how we can encourage people to join the movement for a swimmable, drinkable, fishable future?
The only thing I would like to add is that as Accessible Adventurers, we love to highlight what is available to persons with disabilities in our community. This awareness allows individuals to make a choice whether they want to participate within our community and enjoy the outdoors to its fullest.
Clif Family Foundation is proud to support hundreds of organizations that are working tirelessly to strengthen our food system, enhance equitable community health outcomes, and protect the places we play by being stewards of our environment and natural resources. Their desire is to leave the world a better place for our children.
