Access at elevation: Strategies used to support participation for people with disabilities in adaptive snowsports

Despite the known benefits, people with disabilities face barriers to adaptive physical activity during the winter. Research has explored the experiences of people with disabilities in adaptive snowsports, but little is known about the strategies used by adaptive snowsports organizations to support their participation. The purpose of our study was to investigate the strategies used by recreational adaptive snowsports organizations to support the participation of individuals with disabilities. The study was conducted in collaboration with a Canadian Snowsports community-based association consisting of 12 adaptive ski organizations. Eleven individual semi-structured interviews with organization leaders were conducted. Using an inductive thematic analysis, three main themes were identified. “Inclusion: Carving a Run for Everyone” encompassed how organizations sought to create inclusive spaces for participants by addressing access barriers such as physical accessibility and socioeconomic limitations. “It Takes a Village” illustrated that organizations relied on resources from their communities, including host ski resorts and volunteer instructors, to support adaptive snowsports participation. Finally, “A Mountain Range of Organization Operations” highlighted how leaders customized strategies for volunteer management, marketing, and acquisition and maintenance of adaptive equipment to effectively run their organizations. The results suggest that to support participation of people with disabilities, adaptive snowsports organizations need to embrace a multidimensional approach that addresses the physical environments, organizational structures that support sports activities, and social environments.