For those who live in Central/Northern California, being active outdoors is one of the best things about living in this area. If you have a SCI, however, being active often requires help and money, which is where the organizations below come in.
From offering unforgettable accessible recreation and team adaptive sports programs to classic SCI peer support, here are four SCI/disability nonprofits in the Northern California vicinity that are worth knowing.
1. Shared Adventures
Located in Santa Cruz on the central coast of California, Shared Adventures is a longstanding nonprofit that was founded in 1994 by Foster Andersen, a quadriplegic injured in a motorcycle accident. This nonprofit is one of the busiest in the area since it offers a year-round calendar of recreational events, all of which are inclusive. Not only do they cater to people with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities, they help veterans as well.
The goal of Shared Adventures is to help people with disabilities experience social and recreational interactions that are worthwhile and uplifting. Throughout the year they offer events like adaptive water skiing, adaptive camping, adaptive swimming at a nearby pool with all the accessible equipment available, adaptive fitness opportunities, adaptive archery lessons, and several more sports that rotate throughout the year.
These sports/activities include indoor climbing, movie-watching parties, live art classes, adaptive biking, wheelchair bowling, adaptive gardening, adaptive yoga, adaptive skateboarding, adaptive kayaking, boating opportunities, wheelchair basketball, and music jam sessions. Every July they also offer their larger event called "Day on the Beach" where they host a water fun-filled day on the ocean that includes adaptive surfing, kayaking, swimming, and camaraderie.
Learn more: https://sharedadventures.org/
2. Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program (BORP)
For those who live in the Bay Area of California, one of the oldest and best organizations to connect with for outdoor activities and more is the Bay Area Outreach and Recreational Program, also known as BORP. Founded in 1976, BORP is considered a leader and innovator in the field of adaptive recreation serving both adults and children with disabilities. They offer activities nearly every day of the week at their location in Berkeley, California.
In fact, BORP offer 20+ programs throughout each week which means there is a high chance that everyone who connects with BORP will find an adaptive activity they enjoy. One of their more popular adaptive programs is adaptive cycling, where they have one of the largest collections of adaptive bikes in the world at their official cycling center. They also offer in-person and virtual adaptive exercise classes and they offer teams for the following adaptive sports: Wheelchair Basketball, Goalball, Power Soccer, and Wheelchair Rugby.
Learn more: https://www.borp.org/
3. NorCal Spinal Cord Injury Foundation
If you need of support after your spinal cord injury as well as a way to connect with the nearby spinal cord injury community, the Northern California Spinal Cord Injury Foundation is one of the best organizations to connect with. Specializing in supporting and connecting the spinal cord injury community in Northern California, this foundation is a nonprofit dedicated to providing information, resources, and programs for people living with a SCI to help them thrive and live productively.
To meet their goals, they have put together several programs to help the local spinal cord injury community. They also offer equipment and technology assistance, as well as medical equipment assistance thanks to their donation program. If you're interested in learning how to use an e-bike, the Northern California Spinal Cord Injury Foundation also offers an E-Assist Adaptive Cycling Program.
And that’s not all. They offer two amazing grants: The Road to Recovery Grant and the NorCal SCI Newly Injured Grant. Both of these grants help people with spinal cord injuries support themselves as they move forward with their lives post-injury. And if you need assistance making your home "smart," they offer their Smart Home Independence Program. Family support and care packages for the newly injured are two more components of this great nonprofit.
Learn more: https://norcalsci.org/
4. West Valley College Adapted Physical Education
Although this program is strictly for students of West Valley College, a college located in Saratoga, California, they offer adaptive physical education classes that are among the best you'll find at any college in the country and are worth noting for posterity. Not only do they offer adaptive fitness to help students reach their individual fitness and conditioning goals, which are required to graduate, but they also offer a variety of other adaptive exercise programs you can do instead.
These include adapted aerobic exercise, adapted core stretching, adapted aquatics, adapted weight training, adapted functional fitness, adapted water movement, and adapted guided movement. To participate in any of these classes, students are required to complete a disability verification form.
Learn more: https://www.westvalley.edu/services/desp/adapted-pe.html
