Driving Over Boundaries And Climbing Obstacles
Disability Dirt Days show participants what’s possible—regardless of physical ability
By Kate Layton
Photos: Oakland County Parks
Hosted by Oakland County Parks (OCP) in Michigan, Disability Dirt Days pair volunteer, off-road vehicle (ORV) drivers with participants with disabilities for thrilling rides around Holly Oaks ORV Park. The park is situated on former and active gravel mines and offers a wide variety of extreme terrain for ORVs. Participants can explore the different park areas and features, while bumping along trails, splashing through water, and rolling up and over hills. Some volunteer drivers use hand controls to operate their vehicles, demonstrating to riders that—with the right accommodations—people of different abilities can participate in recreation activities they find interesting and exciting, including more extreme ones like off-roading.
“I volunteer at Disability Dirt Day mainly because of the joy it brings other people,” says Billy Vickers, a volunteer driver from Rehab and Mobility Systems. Vickers is paralyzed from the chest down after a 2003 motorcycle accident. “Having a disability, we are constantly being told or shown things we can’t or shouldn’t do. There are a lot of obstacles and boundaries; … volunteering at Disability Dirt Day gives me an opportunity to drive over those boundaries and literally climb those obstacles. We traverse things we probably never thought possible while being confined to a wheelchair or other disability.”
“Disability Dirt Day is one of my favorite programs,” OCP Recreation Supervisor Sandy Dorey says. “It is an opportunity to provide a unique experience that brings smiles to everyone involved, volunteers and participants.”
Disability Dirt Days was conceptualized and launched by staff in 2021, and the inaugural event that October was so well-attended it evolved into a recurring series. In 2022, staff members (led by Dorey) planned and publicized the program, coordinated volunteers, recruited participants, purchased supplies, and determined best practices for transfers and accessibility on-site. An OCP bus—and bus driver—provided transportation from Detroit Medical Center. Gait belts and transfer boards used to assist with transfers were provided by OCP. Staff hours dedicated to the four 2022 events—before, during, and after—totaled an estimated 272 hours. Besides the significant hours staff members dedicated to organizing and executing the event, the cost of the program is relatively minimal since it’s held at an existing county park, and they primarily utilize existing OCP equipment. Beyond in-kind costs incurred, additional funding was provided by a sponsor—the LaFontaine family—who donated $5,500 to support the events in 2022, and an individual donation of $270. The total cost—including goods and services as well as staff time and equipment was approximately $11,500.
2022 Expenses For Goods/Services
Refreshments $1,015
T-shirts $2,633
Silicone bracelets $188
DJ services $690 (for two of four events)
2022 Expenses For Staff/Equipment
Part-time staff hours $924 (including bus driver)
Full-time staff hours $6,000
Bus mileage $120
Between participants and family members, the 2022 event series drew nearly 600 people. This unique and innovative program reaches an often-underserved community and provides an opportunity for individuals with disabilities to be active, socialize, and connect with nature. The best evidence of the program’s success is the testimonials of the attendees:
“The smiles lasted a long time, but the memories will last forever,” says Chentel Warner, a 2021 attendee.
“Thank you so much for providing this opportunity,” says Susan Jilbert, who attended in 2021. “Chaz loved every minute of it.”
“Thank you,” says Dave Poniatowski, who attended a 2022 event. “My son, Matt, really enjoyed the event ... a lot of thumbs ups. A very special day for Matt and my family.”
“Fast, fun, and dirty!” 2022 participant Chris Pummer says.
Keys Elements For Providing Adaptive-Recreation Opportunities
Partnerships
When organizing and providing adaptive recreation, building relationships with local organizations that work closely with the population you are seeking to serve is very important. These partners will have insight and resources—through communication and collaboration—that can be leveraged to improve the recreation experience for participants with different abilities. These partners can connect an organization with specialized volunteers and equipment, support targeted outreach to underserved communities, and more. Dorey works hard to establish and maintain these relationships on behalf of OCP and the people it serves. Through these relationships, the department was able to partner with the following organizations for the 2022 Disability Dirt Days:
University of Michigan provided volunteer physical therapist
Level 11 provided volunteer physical therapist
Wayne State University provided physical-therapy student volunteers
Wheelchairs in Motion provided Hoyer lifts and all-terrain wheelchairs
Disability Network Southeast Michigan set up online registration, and assisted with outreach and volunteers
Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan assisted with outreach and volunteers
Rehab and Mobility Systems assisted with volunteers.
Volunteers
As anyone working in a park system can attest, volunteers are very important extensions of organizations that help accomplish much more than parks staff members could ever do on their own. This is especially true with adaptive recreation, which can require more hands-on-deck to ensure a safe, positive experience for participants. A significant number of volunteers—including some with a specific skillset—were essential to the successful execution of these events. For the 2022 Disability Dirt Days, more than 20 experienced ORV drivers volunteered to drive participants through the park, and volunteer physical therapists and physical-therapy students assisted participants and their families at the event. An estimated 115 volunteer hours went towards supporting 2022 Disability Dirt Days.
Fun And Connection
It is well known that active recreation provides physical health benefits, but the ability to provide fun and connection is perhaps even more important. After all, it is fun and a sense of connection that will make healthy, active habits become long-term. If it isn’t fun and participants don’t feel connected to nature or others, they aren’t likely to keep coming back for more. Participants at Disability Dirt Days can get a genuine, exciting off-road experience that, without the resources and accommodations provided by OCP and its partners, might otherwise be unavailable to them. The events are free, accessible, and welcoming, and in addition to the off-roading, attendees enjoy music, family activities, lunch and more, against the backdrop of a beautiful county park.
2023 Disability Dirt Days kicked off in May with another in June and more to follow in September and October.
Kate Layton is a Community Liaison at OCP. Reach her at laytonk@oakgov.com. For more information about OCP, visit OaklandCountyParks.com.