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GRIT Freedom Chair
In March of 2025, our community came together to raise the $3500 needed to buy a Grit Freedom Chair. Huge thanks to all who supported!
If you would like to borrow our GRIT Freedom Chair, please email kara@opentrailcollective.org. We request that you give us at least one week notice so we can properly prepare to loan it out. You can either pick it up from our office (aka our home) outside of the CVNP in Akron, OH, or we can meet you somewhere and hike alongside you if we are available. We look forward to meeting you!
PS. This wheelchair isn't just for wheelchair users! Many of us don't have disabilities but many of us may experience moments of different ability (e.g. an injury or illness) or new changes in our bodies that may alter the way we can get outside (e.g. starting to use a cane or walker). This chair is truly for any body that needs it.
Preparing to borrow the GRIT Freedom Chair:
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Watch this video
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And watch this one, too.
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Find a buddy to hike with you. We request that everyone heading out with our chair brings a buddy to help navigate challenging terrain.
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Download, review, sign, and return this Waiver of Liability to us. Using our GRIT Freedom Chair is AT YOUR OWN RISK. Please review all trail conditions before heading out.
Why is this needed?
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It is estimated that over 5 million people use wheel chairs in the US and many others use assisted mobility devices like walkers and scooters.
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People who use wheelchairs and mobility devices are are often excluded from outdoor activities, not because their disability prevents them from getting out, but because outdoor spaces are not often built with their needs in mind. Most trails are not accessible without adaptive equipment which is expensive to buy, challenging to store when not in use, and often not available locally to rent.
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Why don't people use their own chairs on trails?
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Many personal chairs are lightweight, making it extremely difficult to navigate challenging terrain.
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Many people only have one wheel chair, meaning they are taking their chair directly from the trail into their house! It's like wearing your muddy hiking boots directly into your bedroom.
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Most wheel chairs require you to propel yourself with your hands on your chair's tires - this is challenging when the navigating sloppy or goose-poop filled trails!
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Reflection
Being disabled is difficult, to put it bluntly. But the environment around us can often be more disabling than the disability itself. If I want to be a part of environments like the woods, the beach, or the grass, it is usually only made possible by someone willing to carry me, which can often feel like I am the passenger rather than the driver of my own life. A few days ago, I had the opportunity to try out the Grit Freedom Chair. This was the first time in 2 years that I have been able to be a part of nature in the same way I was before becoming a wheelchair user. And the best part? I was able to do it independently. I could feel my muscles working, I could feel the breeze on my face, I could reach out and touch the nature around me. I know what it is like to have every bit of independence stripped from me, but I also know what it’s like to regain slivers of independence. The little things really do add up to be big things.
- Nicki A.