Getting out and exploring Arizona is the main focus of Accessing Arizona.  How you get there is always part of the fun, or challenge depending on how you perceive such an effort.  So when we here at Accessing Arizona  came across  some mentions that there’s someone in Arizona with an adapted side-by-side ATV, we naturally tracked him down.

Matt Peters is a long time quad who runs a company in Chandler that produces wheels and accessories for wheelchairs. And in his spare time  he has been modifying a Polaris RZR for use with hand-controls.  He is planning to refine his prototypes and the sell a kit others could install.  Somebody obviously needs to test something like this, and who better than the crack staff here at AA.

So not only does Matt have good technical ideas, he’s obviously got a creative eye.  The Rzr has been decked out with a great Arizona flag scheme.   Perfect for sporting an Accessing Arizona decal.

The Rzr is a two-seater.   Matt has added an after-market electrical power steering module to allow anyone with limited arm and upper-body function to better control the steering.  For gas and brake, he’s added a standard set of hand-controls used on cars. To better access, the steering wheel can tilt up.  To better improve stability, he’s added an armrest between the seats, and the hardened half doors with arm rests.

Getting in the driver’s seat isn’t the easiest.  It’s a small door space and required some assistance.  But with practice, everything gets easier. The nice thing about the Rzr is that the seat height is just about at wheelchair level.

OK, so once you are in, and strapped in, its go time.  Matt’s controls work good.   The automatic transmission is easy to shift and the accelerator is responsive.  Developing a feel for the Rzr is rapid, and the suspension is great for maintaining control and riding in comfort.  Bumpy rides aren’t my thing.

The four of us poked around the Rio Verde area for a few hours.  This is Tonto National Forest land along the Verde River below Bartlett Lake.  It’s a great place for riding and in fact Matt is considering moving nearby and setting up a program to allow others to ride.

The Rzr and all ATV’s to some extent offer persons with disabilities a good option for exploring the outdoors.  They aren’t cheap (somewhere near $10,000) to buy, and will likely need another $3,000 to adapt.  Plus the helmet, trailer and chrome goodies of course.

One of the benefits that comes from exploring the outdoors is meeting other like-minded people. Matt, like most outdoor recreational enthusiast are very sharing of their ideas and jump at the chance to meet up and have some fun.  Lets hope his idea of starting an ATV-ranch for all of us to visit and romp about the desert comes together.  Until then we’re happy to beta-test all his innovations.

Matt is promising www.Petesrzr.com will be up and running soon.  If all else fails, find him at arwingroup [at] byarwin [dot]com.

Accessing Arizona with an Accessible ATV is a post from: Wheelchair Arizona eMag Accessing Arizona.

Disabled Explorers

Back in the day I used to poke around Arizona in a CJ5 Jeep.  It got me eveywhere including many trips into the Tonto National Forest which is the area north of Phoenix.  A favorite spot for us was Sheep’s Bridge which crosses the Verde River.  Its a rugged road that requires plenty of ground clearance.  You can make in with a 2×4, but for real exploring, having 4 wheel drive comes in handy.

So when I bumped into Lance Blair, who founded Disabled Explorers (www.disabledexplorers.com), and learned about its goal to get PwDs back into enjoying nature and exploring the outdoors, I hit him up for a ride back out to Sheeps Crossing.  Lance had not been back there in 20+ years as well so we agreed to make a day trip from our homes in Phoenix.

Disabled Explorers owns a pretty impressive full-size 4×4 Ford van. Last year Lance worked with Sportsmobile to outfit the van for off-roading and to include adaptive equipment for people in wheelchairs, etc.  Its definitely a well-built rig.  We put it through about 100 miles of pretty aggressive driving. The van is comfortable on the highway, bouncing down a dirt trail, and in the mud and sand.  The vehicle has a power wheelchair lift, and two captain seats that swivel for easier transfers. In back there’s a fold-out sofa, refrigerator and sink.  The van has hand controls, but for this trip I rode shotgun and snapped the photos.

Sheeps Crossing is by no means an accessible destination.  The foot bridge itself is ok, but the landings aren’t too easy to traverse, and there is sand and rocks most everywhere.  I crossed the bridge and enjoyed a great view.  Lance makes for a good guide. He’s been exploring Arizona for many years and has a good understanding of offroad equipment and adaptive technology.  He also works in the medical field as an RN, which makes such trips more safe for those who are beginning to explore nature with a disability.

Disabled Explorers has one basic mission. That is to expose people with disabilities to all the great places we have to see in and around Arizona and the southwest.  There isn’t too much required to get involved.  Step one is to contact the group and come up with a plan. Step two is to just do it, and finally the last step is to pay it forward and find someone else who would benefit from the experience.

Lance and team are pretty easy to find.  He and his adaptive off-road toys can be found at many outdoors and disability-related expos, conferences and events.

Forest Service Info About Sheeps Crossing (link)

The foot bridge is about 36" wide. Pretty easy for wheelchairs.

It was a good day trip.  Plenty to write about. Plenty to reflect on . . . . . . . .

Off Roading in Arizona – Adaptive Style is a post from: Wheelchair Arizona eMag Accessing Arizona.

Phoenix Parks and Recreation has a great program called Daring Adventures for people who push chairs, use canes and all the other assorted PwD’s. Basically the program is designed to get everyone up and out, and doing some physical recreational.

So we all met up for the Summit Challenge one early Saturday morning at Papago Park. The Challenge is basically a 4-part recreational walk at 4 parks in Phoenix which feature accessible trails. After Papago, we went to South Mountain, then Rio Salado, then North Mountain.

Any of the first three are great places to enjoy Phoenix.  Papago Park is the most scenic and especially in the early morning or late evening.   Its a gradually climb up, and you are rewarded with a nice glide back to the parking  lot (assuming you are using a wheelchair).  South Mountain is a fun circle with plenty happening all around you.  Rio Salado is a great trail and there is plenty of opportunity to see wildlife.  I cant give North Mountain too much praise as its literally a 5 minute sidewalk through some rather unexciting vegetation. But by the time we got there we all knew each other so it was still worth wild.

Thanks to TJ, and Rocky and everyone for the effort. It’s too bad we didnt get more wheelers out to enjoy the great weather. I know quite a few who could use the exercise.

Summit Challenge is a post from: Wheelchair Arizona eMag Accessing Arizona.