Camping From a Wheelchair

One of the highlights of our summers here in Wyoming is camping. We love the outdoors and any chance we get to be up in the mountains. As a wheelchair user, I wondered at first how this would work, but we have made some minor modifications to our cargo trailer to make it accessible and comfortable for us, and it works great!

While there are accessible RVs and campers on the market, they usually come with a huge price tag. Or they aren't quite as accessible as advertised. What we like about our trailer/toy hauler is that it works for camping, but it can be quickly swapped out to haul items as well. The ramp is great for access, and we have box springs and mattresses in the back for sleeping. I have a portable/bedside commode for Addison and I to use, and we have a table set up for our kitchen area. It wouldn't work for everyone, but it is perfect for us.

We usually take our kayaks, fly fishing rods, and/or four wheelers when we go camping. I recorded a short clip of our trailer setup as well as a few minutes of four-wheeling. Enjoy!

https://youtu.be/acp2RhsMef8

Make Some Bubbles- Para Scuba Adventure

Ever since my accident in 1999, I have loved being in the water. There is something very freeing about moving around without boundaries or barriers. Over the last 15 years, I have spent tons of time in different pools, and I have even snorkeled in Maui, but I had always assumed that scuba diving was out of the question. Until I spent some time in the Therapeutic Recreation Department at Craig Hospital. They have teamed up with A-1 Scuba & Travel Aquatics Center to offer adaptive scuba adventures for Craig patients and alumni.

After my last appointment at Craig on Friday afternoon, I headed towards A-1. The owner, Scott, used to be a physical therapist at Craig, and he is passionate about their disabled diver program. I went down the elevator and met the staff before going into the classroom to learn about the equipment I would be using. My main instructor was Joanne, and she (and the rest of the staff) was absolutely amazing.

We used a lift to get me into the pool, and once I was in, we started putting on the equipment. I had been worried about getting in to the wetsuit, but once we were in the water, it wasn't bad at all. We also put on water shoes and knee pads to protect my skin from the floor and walls of the pool. I strapped in to the BC (buoyancy compensator) and air tank before locating my regulator.

We spent the next several minutes adjusting my mask, learning the hand motions we would use to communicate under water, going over the steps to clear your mask when it gets water in it, how to safely descend and surface, etc. before getting accustomed to breathing underwater in the shallow end. Once I was comfortable with these skills, we headed in to the deep end of the pool, and that's when the real fun began. They also have underwater speakers throughout the pool, so it is an awesome sensory experience.

I really can't fully explain what an amazing experience this was, so I am hoping the video helps you to better understand how much fun I had. If you are a person living with a disability, regardless of your level of injury, I encourage you to look into adaptive scuba diving- it will change your life!

Click here to see the video on my YouTube channel, and please subscribe while you are there!

Build A Room Campaign

As many of you know, I had a life-changing experience at Craig Hospital in April. I am so excited to announce that I have teamed up with Craig to promote the "Build A Room" fundraising campaign for the month of July. We will be raising funds to build a private consultation room in the new Outpatient Clinic, and each dollar will be matched up to $50,000, thanks to an anonymous donor who also benefited from Craig's Outpatient Clinic. Please consider supporting this amazing project- every little bit helps and your donation will be doubled! If you or someone you know has been affected by a SCI or TBI, this is the project for you to rally behind and share with your friends and family.
Check out the video we made for the campaign at the link below. Thank you for your support!

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/build-a-room-at-craig-hospital#/story

Crockpot Freezer Meals

Some time ago, I came across a website touting the idea of crockpot freezer meals. I was intrigued by the concept for several reasons, but mostly for the thought it planted that it would be a great way to help out a new Mom.

I don't know about other ladies, but when I had Addison, I was too busy trying to learn how to be a good Mom to even attempt to remember how to be a good wife. Thankfully, folks from our church brought by meals, and although I (and especially Russ) was incredibly grateful, I was recovering from a C-section and sleep deprivation, and it was quite some time before I was up for making meals again.

Also, most of the meals provided were brought ready-to-go during the first week, and once they were gone, the real work started and I was on my own again. We made due after that, but I started thinking about better ways to be a bigger blessing to new Moms that would last longer and be more effective.

Enter the crockpot freezer meals. These meals can be used whenever most needed by the new parents, they last for months, and they are fool-proof, which means Dad can make dinner and even clean up by himself without catching the house on fire or further stressing out the new Mama.

Although the following meals are tailored for new Moms (i.e. nothing spicy or too many onions),  there are hundreds of recipes online to choose from. The list below will make 14 meals plus several cookie rolls, and each recipe is for 4-6 servings, depending on the recipe. You can pick and choose which recipes you want to try, or go all out and really bless someone with 2 whole weeks of meals, plus some great leftovers, depending on the size of their family.

Obviously, this idea isn't just for new parents. You could do it for someone recovering from an illness or surgery, or even just for your own family for days when you don't have time to prepare a meal. I can make all 14 meals plus the cookies in about 4 hours, but it will vary for everyone. Besides cooking the ground beef, it mostly involves chopping, opening cans, and tossing raw meat in a bag. Very simple stuff.

Here is the list I print and send with each batch of meals. I laminate it so it can stay nice and clean for the duration of however long it takes to consume the meals. I deliver the meals frozen with this list and any of the dry ingredients (rice, bow tie pasta, egg noodles, etc.) you want to include. I also include a few boxes of crockpot liners for easy cleanup.

Freezer Meals

Directions: Thaw meal in the fridge the night before.

Add liner. Cook in the crock pot on LOW for 6-8 hours.

Meal:	Serving Suggestions:
Chicken & Gravy	Serve over rice
Apple Sauce BBQ Chicken	Serve with veggies/salad
Pepper Steak	Serve over rice
Cilantro Lime Chicken Tacos	Serve with tortillas and taco garnishes
Beef Stew	Serve with bread
Beef Stroganoff	Serve over egg noodles
Teriyaki Chicken	Serve over rice
Marinara Chicken & Vegetables	Serve over bowtie pasta
BBQ Pork Ribs	Serve with veggies/salad
Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches	Serve on buns with Provolone cheese and chips
Scalloped Potatoes & Ham	Serve with salad
Maple Dijon Chicken Thighs	Serve with veggies/salad
Cheesy Cowboy Casserole	Melt cheddar cheese over each serving; serve with salad
Orange Chicken	Serve over rice
Chocolate Chip Cookies	Slice and bake @350◦ for 8-10 minutes

Here are the links to each of the meals above. I researched each of these off of different websites, and I do not take credit for any of the recipes linked below.

Recipe Links: 

•  http://www.familyfreshmeals.com/2013/08/cheesy-crockpot-cowboy-casserole.html
•  http://www.six-cents.com/2012/06/crockpot-freezer-cooking-101.html (Scalloped Potatoes & Ham, Hawaiian Chicken Sandwiches)
•  http://www.mommysfabulousfinds.com/2013/06/8-easy-crock-pot-freezer-meals-make-dinnertime-easy.html (Orange Chicken, BBQ Pork Ribs, Beef Stroganoff- I used ground beef, cooked and drained)
•  http://www.sidetrackedsarah.com/2013/08/marinara-chicken-vegetables-recipe-for-the-crockpot/
•  http://whoneedsacape.com/2013/01/crockpot-applesauce-bbq-chicken/
•  http://whoneedsacape.com/2013/09/slow-cooker-pepper-steak/
•  http://whoneedsacape.com/2013/01/crock-pot-maple-dijon-chicken-thighs/
•  http://whoneedsacape.com/2013/08/slow-cooker-cilantro-lime-chicken/
•  http://whoneedsacape.com/2013/02/crockpot-teriyaki-chicken/
•  http://whoneedsacape.com/2013/09/slow-cooker-chicken-gravy/
•  http://www.thefrugalpantry.com/2013/07/slice-bake-cookie-dough.html

Tips:

• The Beef Stew is my recipe- I just do stew meat, potato cubes, carrots, green beans, and V-8/spicy V-8.
•  Make sure you get good quality freezer bags so they don’t leak while they are initially freezing- putting them flat on a cookie sheet or large baking dish will prevent messes in your freezer if anything does leak.
•  I use a large glass bowl and put the freezer bag in it. The bowl will hold the bag while you fill it with ingredients. Seal the bag with no air and you can just mix it in the bag- saves on clean up!

Let me know if you make any of these and how it goes, or if you have your own crockpot freezer recipes you want to share. Enjoy!

 

How To Bring An All Inclusive Playground To Your Community

In August of 1999, I was injured in a ranching accident up the North Fork when I was 16 years old. I learned early on how important it is to stay active and continue to enjoy the outdoors, despite a disability. Fast forward to 2010, and after I had my daughter, Addison, I knew I wanted to teach her this important lesson as well. Unfortunately, when I attempted to take her to the local playgrounds for the first time, I found out that none of them were wheelchair friendly. I knew that if I, as a parent, was unable to enjoy active play with my child, then children with varying disabilities in our community were not able to enjoy active play either.

During the Ms. Wheelchair USA pageant in 2013 in Ohio, I was given the opportunity to experience my first all inclusive playground- a place where children of all abilities and their families were able to play together and learn together. I returned home with the dream of building Wyoming’s very first boundless playground right here in Cody.

SOAR Park, Ms. Wheelchair USA 2013 Pageant, Stow, Ohio

Here we are, two years later, and I am excited to say that we are hoping to open the playground in the Fall of 2016. It has been a wonderful journey, and I thought I would share the steps we have taken to help others in their quest for a similar project in their community. Obviously, every project will be different, but the steps can be altered to fit your needs. They may go in a different order as well.

Step One: Do Your Research

I knew that I hadn't seen any truly accessible playgrounds in Cody, but I wanted to make sure that I wasn't missing anything. I ended up doing a full playground audit of almost a dozen parks. I took a Saturday and headed out with my notebook and camera. At each park, I looked at the following criteria:

• Access to the playground, including sidewalks and curb cuts
• Parking at the playground
• The playground equipment, including accessibility and age/wear/condition
• The surfacing of the playground
• Surrounding features, including shelter houses and bathroom facilities
• Overall ADA compliance of the playground
• Priority level based on location and size of the playground

I also took pictures of everything, including things that worked, and places that needed attention. I compiled all of this information in a large PowerPoint presentation, which included education about the ADA and recreation guidelines, as well as a final recommendation. In our case, we chose to have one large "crown jewel" project that was completely all inclusive instead of  doing minor fixes at all of the parks.

Step Two: Make Contact

This step may overlap with the previous step, as it did in my case. One of the first calls I made when I started this project was to Rick Manchester, the Director of Parks & Recreation for Cody. Fortunately, he had been looking at a similar project in Cody, so the timing was perfect. He asked me to complete the audit and report back with my findings and recommendations. He was looking for a "community quarterback" for the project and I immediately volunteered.

If this timing isn't the case for you, you will have your project ready to present to make the case of the new playground project and its need in your community. Make sure you are talking and presenting to the actual decision makers who would not only control the direction of the project, but be passionate and knowledgeable about it as well.

Step Three: Get Creative

Rick and I spoke several times before heading out to Mentock Park, where we were leaning towards putting the park. Addison went with us for the site survey, and it was quickly evident that the playground needed work before it could be considered accessible, let alone all inclusive. But it did offer the best option for several reasons:

•  Location- Mentock is surrounded by residential housing, a middle school, and an assisted living community. While its location is easy to access and already established as a main community park, we wouldn't be dealing with heavy traffic or distracting commercial noise.
• Timing- Mentock is an older playground structure and was almost due to be replaced.
• Existing Infrastructure- To save on cost, try looking at a location that offers existing infrastructure, so that you don't have the additional cost of starting from scratch. Mentock has existing parking, sidewalks, curb cuts, and landscaping.
• Other Facilities- Mentock also has a shelter and a bathroom facility that works fairly well- we may just need to spruce it up a little. It also already houses several soccer fields and a skate park.

Once we had decided on the best location, we started researching companies that specialize in all inclusive playground design. One company, Playworld Systems, sent a designer up to look at our location and discuss design options with us. This was an exciting process, but also overwhelming. Luckily, the designer we were working with really knew her stuff, and we were able to collaborate to come up with a design that fit our location, our needs, and our budget. We also needed to take into consideration the upkeep of the playground and who would be responsible for that. Additional funding may be needed for this based on your project. Our designer drew up several blueprints, with differing budget levels in mind.

We wanted to ensure that we were meeting the needs of children of all abilities, including able bodied children and children with varying disabilities, including physical, sensory, and learning. Now that we had a working plan complete with conceptual drawings, we started sharing the project to raise the needed funds.

Step Four: Show Me The Money

A project of this size can cost anywhere between several hundred thousand dollars to over a million dollars, depending on its size. The numbers can be very overwhelming, especially if you are approaching the project with no prior knowledge of similar playgrounds. Fortunately for me, I had been able to speak with the people involved in bringing an all inclusive park to Stow, Ohio, the original park I had experienced in 2013 (SOAR PARK). They were incredibly helpful and prepared me for the sticker shock.

Even with that assistance, the enormity of raising the funds was intimidating. Luckily, we live in an amazing community and as we began sharing the project, we were approached by several groups and organizations that wanted to get involved. Rick also knew about a state grant that we were eligible to apply for that required matching funds, but would almost completely cover the cost of the playground. So we started looking for opportunities to present the project to additional groups that could possibly help us match the state grant. We were thrilled with the response we received, and we just turned in our grant application after procuring the matching funds necessary to meet the eligibility requirements. We will hear in December if we will receive the funding.

We are also pursuing a few grants with outside organizations that specialize in disability recreation and community projects like the playground. Make sure that the person writing your grants has previous experience and knows exactly what they are doing- some of these grants award large sums of money, and you only have one chance to make a good first impression for your project.

Step Five: Involve The Community

To me, this is one of the most important aspects of any community project, especially when it touches the lives of people in such a personal way. We will be hosting several community work days next summer to cut down on the playground construction costs, as well as offer folks the opportunity to be involved in a hands-on way. Parents and grandparents directly affected by a disability have come out of the woodwork offering support and assistance. It's so exciting to see your passion spread throughout the community and light a fire for such a special project.

One of the greatest lessons that I have learned from this project is that something worth doing well takes time and patience. This playground is going to be around for decades to come and will be enjoyed by generations of children and their families, and to me, that makes the waiting worth it. I will keep everyone posted about our progress. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at ashlee@ashleelundvall.com.