With Christmas round the corner we had a look at the growing winter activity of snow sports. By their very nature snow sports are activities which can be difficult, even impossible for people with disabilities to participate in, however, there is a growing recognition of the need for the increased accessibility of snow sports.

Nowadays individuals will find it much easier than before to access the support and equipment necessary to allow people with disabilities to participate in a broad range of snow sports, but if you are interested in taking to the snowy bluffs then it’s essential to be aware of what’s out there.

A Growing Interest

Just like many other sports, there are dedicated organisations which have worked at providing the information and support necessary to make skiing and other snow sports more accessible for people with disabilities. Ski2Freedom is one organisation which seeks to challenge that and increase the accessibility of winter sports for people with disabilities, whether they are learning, physical or sensory. The organisation aims at making snow sports an activity which can be inclusive to all and works with disabled ski schools and organisations in order to offer the support and advice which many individuals and families lack. 

Disability Snowsport UK is another group which promotes the growth of snow sports amongst people with disabilities. They operate a number of local groups across the UK which offer instructions and ski lessons to adults and children with disabilities, providing the adaptive equipment and specialised teaching necessary to allow for a more inclusive sporting environment. They also organise annual activity weeks, travelling to locations in both Europe and North America to take part in everything from skiing to mountain hikes. DSUK's history goes back to the 1970s and using snow sports as a means of physical therapy, but as their organisation has grown so to has their mission, which today is “to promote equality and opportunity for people with disabilities to take part in snow sports". 

Design is Key

As awareness and interest in making snow sports more available among people with disabilities has grown, so too has the range of equipment available. As is always the case with assistive technology, the design is the key to its success in the field (or in this case, the slope). The snow sports equipment available to people with disabilities is extremely varied and there are accommodations made for a wide range of abilities and support needs.

The Kartski by French manufacturers, Tessier, is an example of equipment which accommodates users who lack the balance or lower body mobility needed for regular skies, but who have the arm and upper body strength to ski independently. The skier uses handles on either side of the chair to steer and control the skies and there is even a kit available which allows for one-handed steering which means that someone who is hemiplegic would be able to use it independently of a pilot. A similar model for independent skiing, the Monoski, comes from Austrian manufacturer, Praschenberger. For those who have more advanced support needs, Tessier ‘s Dualski Pilot and, the more recent model, the Tandemski ‘Flex are available, though both require a relatively competent skier to pilot while the use occupies a seat in the front. These, and the other models available, are all designed to allow the user, or in the case of the piloted ski chairs- the guide, to quickly and easily attach the chairs to the ski lift. 

Aesthetically speaking these designs also look pretty slick and the Praschenberger Monoski (pictured above) in particular has a real futuristic look to it. There has been criticism of many assistive technologies and disability aid equipment for their lack of innovative or attractive aesthetic design and so it is a positive sign that this factor is being taken into account when manufacturing accessible snow sport equipment.

The advances in design and development in equipment, as well as the growth of advocacy and advice groups has definitely gone towards increasing the accessibility of snow sports for people with disabilities. However, as a demographic it is still one which is grossly unrepresented. DSUK reports that around 170,000 non-disabled people in the UK go skiing every month, while less than 1,000 people with disabilities take part. The associated costs may be a factor in this, as at the moment these are still relatively specialist products and as such are not cheap and while the design and availability of equipment has certainly made snow sports more accessible for people with disabilities many will still find that the price tag will prohibit them. Even the cheaper of these models come in at around €1100 (and that’s just the basic model) and it is still not commonplace to be able to rent the equipment, though Ski2Freedom does offer advice on some resorts which offer them. Overall though there are definitely interesting developments in the accessibility of snow sports which could surely be advanced further by increased knowledge and participation.

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