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MTDH logo: Silhouette of Montana with title "Living Well under the Big Sky"

 

Resources on Recreation
and Exercise

Updated 12/15/09

 

 

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Montana Resources  |  Local Resources (by town)  |  National Resources

Montana, Statewide:

Big Sky Imagination Inventor Scot Browne manufactures and sells a variety of recreational products, including a hands-free binocular stand, a wheelchair rifle rest, and a wheelchair flashlight holder.

Montana Access to Outdoor Recreation strives to increase opportunities for participation in wildlife viewing, fishing, hunting, and other related activities for individuals with disabilities and those who are aging. MATOR offers the following services: free recreational equipment library; demonstration events; education and awareness; and a volunteer network.

Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services:

Public Health and Safety Division: Cardiovascular Health/Nutrition and Physical Activity

Obesity/Physical Activity Program
1400 Broadway, Rm. C317, Helena, MT 59620
(406) 444-5508

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks: Crossing the Barriers Program Site has FWP's Accessibility & Implementation Plans, regional lists of facilities rated by accessibility from "easy" to "most difficult",  disability-related articles from Montana Outdoors magazine, descriptions of available outdoor recreation activities, and information on fee exemptions.

Montana Statewide Outdoor Recreation Plan, 2008-2012

North American Riding for the Handicapped Region 9 Affiliates NARHA Association affiliates from Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington

Parents, Let's Unite for Kids publishes: Get Adobe Acrobat ReaderMontana Recreation, Travel, & Camp Resource Handbook for People with Special Needs

Special Olympics of Montana Nonprofit international program of year-round sports training and athletic competition for children and adults with intellectual disabilities.

Visit Montana Official state travel site.

VSA Arts of Montana Partners with the Departments of Dance and Music at the University of Montana to provide learning opportunities for people with disabilities and teacher and access training for University of Montana students who participate in VSA classes on campus.

Montana Resources, by town (alphabetical order)

Belgrade: The Rock Fitness Center 406-388-7133 (wheelchair accessible). Group fitness training, personal training, nutrition and dietetics, physical therapy. Classes adjusted for all levels and all handicaps.

Billings:

    Aquatic:

     Fitness Centers/Indoor Classes:

     Trails/Walking/Outdoor Options:

    Other Programs:

Bozeman

    Aquatic:

    Fitness Centers/Indoor Classes:

 Trails/Walking/Outdoor Options:

    Other Programs:

Additional Information: Bozeman Recreation and Parks Advisory Board (wheelchair accessible) lists activities in the Bozeman area.

Butte:

     Aquatic:

     Fitness Centers/Indoor Classes

     Trails/Walking/Outdoor Options

     Other Programs:

Corvallis:

     Other Programs:

Darby:

     Other Programs:

Great Falls:

     Aquatic

     Fitness Centers/Indoor Classes

     Trails/Walking/Outdoor Options

     Other Programs

Havre: Hi-Line Therapeutic Riding Association

Helena:

     Aquatic

     Fitness Centers/Indoor Classes

     Trails/Walking/Outdoor Options

     Other Programs

Lolo

Other Programs

Miles City

     Aquatic

     Fitness Centers/Indoor Classes

     Trails/Walking/Outdoor Options

     Other: Miles City Farmer’s Market (seasonal) Selling homemade edibles, handcrafted items,       vegetables & fruit, jewelry, clothing, house plants, and flea market type goods.

Missoula

     Aquatic

     Fitness Centers/Indoor Classes

     Trails/Walking/Outdoor Options

     Other Programs

     Additional Information: Missoula Outdoor Recreation and Education (M.O.R.E.) Jason Pignanelli, Outdoor Recreation Specialist 552-6271

Seeley Lake: Montana Accessible Recreation Opportunities is a joint venture between MonTECH at The University of Montana Rural Institute and the Disability and Business Technical Assistance Center: Rocky Mountain Americans with Disabilities Act Center. Its goal is to be a one-stop resource for comprehensive accessibility information for all Montana public recreation lands.
The project strives to provide relevant accessibility data using GIS mapping, GPS technology, and a variety of other informational sources to help individuals plan outings at accessible recreational sites. This pilot program is currently limited to Missoula and Ravalli counties. If financial support can be secured, the project will expand to include other areas of Montana and eventually the entire state.  

Shelby:

     Aquatic:  Shelby City Pool (seasonal) 406-434-5311 (wheelchair accessible) Indoor swimming pool for adults and children. There is a wading pool for small children surrounded by benches and shade. The park also offers picnic tables for picnicking. Water classes offered, with floating devices.

     Fitness Centers/Indoor Classes: Shelby Civic Center 406-434-5114 (wheelchair accessible)
Full Fitness Center and Recreation Center with gym, weight room, and various classes offered. Options for personal training also available. Walking passes available.

     Trails/Walking/Outdoor Options:

City Parks: All are handicapped accessible with sidewalk access, playgrounds, open areas.
• Lincoln Park (wheelchair accessible)
• City Hall Park (wheelchair accessible)
• Johnson Park (wheelchair accessible)
• Aranow Park (wheelchair accessible)

     Other Programs: Shelby Food & Crafts Farmer’s Market features local fruits & vegetables, baked goods, homemade Mexican food, a lemonade stand, jewelry, and 4-H projects for fund raisers.

Whitefish: DREAM Adaptive Recreation operates at The Big Mountain Ski Resort near Whitefish and on a small scale at Blacktail Mountain Ski Resort near Lakeside.  DREAM is a volunteer non-profit organization whose purpose is to promote opportunities for skiing and other winter activities for children and adults with disabilities.

Living Well with a Disability. This 8-week Health Promotion Workshop teaches tools that help people with disabilities continue to do the things they enjoy. Topics include goal setting, problem solving, optimistic thinking, avoiding depression, healthy communication, information seeking, nutrition, physical activity, advocacy and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Would you like to facilitate a Living Well with a Disability group? Click HERE to learn more!

Would you like to participate in a Living Well with a Disability group? Click HERE to locate Montana's Living Well trainings!

National:

Access-Able Travel Source  Information and resources about travel with a special need; disability magazines; access guides for cities, resorts and attractions; wheelchair or scooter rentals; and accessible transportation.

Access Board Federal agency committed to accessible design.

Americans with Disabilities Act: Accessibility Guidelines for Buildings and Facilities

Accessible Air Travel: A Guide for People with Disabilities from the United Spinal Association.

Accessible Playground Equipment . The World Playground, Parks and Recreation Products and Services Web Directory lists vendors of accessible equipment in the U.S. and Canada.

Accessible Vacation Home Exchange, sponsored by the Independent Living Institute, allows users to add, delete, revise entries, and add photos. Swapping homes with other persons with similar needs, in other parts of the world, is a low-cost and practical alternative.  Travelers can ask potential swap partners specific questions on how accessible the vacation home is.  On arrival, travelers will already have an infrastructure of neighbors and local contacts.

Adaptive Information Resource Center, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, provides a diverse,  coordinated network of sports and recreation resources for children and adults with disabilities and their families.

American Adaptive Badminton Association is the competitive branch for amputees, wheelchair users, and others with disabilities who want to play recreationally and/or compete in regional, national and International competitions.

Association of Travel Instruction supports providers of travel instruction for the purpose of teaching people with disabilities and seniors to travel safely and independently.

Autism Society of America Promotes lifelong access and opportunities for persons within the autism spectrum and their families.

 Travel Tips for Families of People with Autism

AXIS Dance Company creates and performs high quality contemporary dance developed through the collaboration of dancers with and without disabilities. AXIS teaches dance and educates about collaboration and disability through community outreach and education programs. AXIS promotes and supports physically integrated dance, locally, nationally and internationally.

Bicycle Safe Excellent advice for bicyclists on how to avoid being hit by cars. 

Bike Helmet Safety Institute Everything there is to know about selecting, buying and using bike helmets.

BlazeSports America In partnership with National Recreation and Parks Association, offers high quality sports instruction, training and competition opportunities to children and adults with physical disabilities, including those who use wheelchairs, have a neuro-muscular disability such as cerebral palsy or spina bifida, have an amputation or a visual impairment or blindness. Sports include wheelchair basketball, wheelchair tennis, wheelchair rugby, swimming and track and field. Other sports may be offered by individual BlazeSports Clubs.

The Boulevard Information and resources on accessible travel and lodging, wheelchair-accessible van rentals, accessible-travel specialists, accessible cruises, accessible vacation home exchange; accessible pools and spas; and adaptive fishing, hunting, golf, swimming and bowling equipment.

Boundless Playgrounds National non-profit organization helps communities create playgrounds where children with and without disabilities can play together.

Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center Empowers people of all abilities through high quality outdoor experiences.  Program areas include Adaptive Skiing, the Wilderness Program, and the Professional Challenge Program.

Deaf Globetrotters Travel provides certified sign language interpreters to accommodate travelers on all  escorted tours.

Disabled Sports USA. Offers nationwide sports rehabilitation programs to anyone with a permanent physical disability. Activities include winter skiing, water sports, summer and winter competitions, fitness and special sports events.

Disaboom.com Disability community site for anyone touched by a functional limitation or disability.  Offers a career center, media room, discussion forums, advice on how to stay healthy and active, classifieds, accessibility reviews of businesses and restaurants, and social networking.

Gimp on the Go has travel reviews, tips, news, a photo gallery, bulletin boards and resources for travelers with disabilities.

Let's Play Project Provides families with ways to play through the use of assistive technology.  Site has articles, success stories and resources on using high and low tech tools.

Little League Challenger Division is a separate division of Little League Baseball to enable boys and girls with physical and mental disabilities, ages 5-18 or the completion of high school, to enjoy the game of baseball along with the millions of other children who participate in this sport worldwide. Teams are set up according to abilities, rather than age, and can include as many as 15-20 players, who can participate in one of three levels: Tee-Ball, Coach-Pitch or Player Pitch.

Mobility Golf is a non-profit organization designed to provide information and advocacy for access to golf courses.

National Accessible Travelers Database Sponsored by Easter Seals Project Action, this database of transit systems is supplemented with information on accessible tours and tour companies, accessible airport and other private shuttles, and accessible taxi services.

National Amputee Golf Association

National Beep Baseball Association is the organization for the adaptive version of baseball for the blind and visually impaired.

National Center for Bicycling & Walking is an advocacy organization supporting bicycle friendly and walkable communities across North America. The center is the major program of the Bicycle Federation of America. The center also provides training in designing pedestrian facilities for accessibility.

National Center on Physical Activity and Disability. Operated by the Department of Disability and Human Development  at the University of Illinois at Chicago, the NCPD works in partnership with the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago (RIC) and the National Center on Accessibility (NCA) at Indiana University. Offers a variety of resources to help people with disabilities become more active, and also offers resources for fitness and exercise professionals, health professionals, and researchers interested in promoting increased physical activity for people with disabilities.

National Junior Disability Championships Program for children and youth, 7-21 years old, sponsored by Wheelchair and Ambularoty Sports USA. Competitions are held in Olympic-style events including track, field, pentathlon, boccia, swimming, archery, table tennis, 3-on-3 wheelchair basketball and weightlifting.

National Recreation and Park Association advocates to make parks, open space, and recreational opportunities available to all Americans.

National Softball Association of the Deaf

National Theatre of the Deaf produces high-quality theatrically challenging work; performs these original works in a style that links American Sign Language with the spoken word; seeks, trains and employs Deaf artists; offers its work to as culturally diverse and inclusive an audience as possible; provides community outreach activities that educate and enlighten the general public.

North American Riding for the Handicapped Association. Non-profit organization promotes the rehabilitation of individuals with physical, emotional and learning disabilities through equine-facilitated activities at a worldwide network of member therapeutic riding centers.

Region 9 NARHA Association affiliates from Alaska, Alberta, British Columbia, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington

Paralyzed Veterans of America. Provides resources for professionals and for people with paralysis, including "Living with SCI" area, sports and recreation resources, research and education and national advocacy.

President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports encourages all Americans to make being active part of their everyday lives. Web site has sections for children, teens, adults, and seniors.

Recreation: A Great Way to Be Active Published by the North Carolina Office on Disability and Health, this easy to use guide has a step-by-step format to help anyone with a disability plan for more recreation.

Sign-N-Tours especially for deaf/hearing-impaired travelers; provides American sign language interpreters.

SmallStep.gov U.S. Department of Health and Human Services site provides information on diet and exercise that can help individuals improve their health through incremental changes in various habits.

Society for Accessible Travel and Hospitality Promotes barrier-free travel for mature travelers and people with disabilities.  Web site links to major airlines and provides info on airline accommodations for travelers with special needs.  SATH sponsors an annual conference.

Special Olympics International organization dedicated to helping children and adults with intellectual disabilities become physically fit, productive and respected members of society. Special Olympics offers year-round training and competition in 26 Olympic-type summer and winter sports.

Teaching, Responding and Communicating Quality Physical Education: Creating Quality, Inclusive Physical Education & Physical Activity for all Students Publication from the North Carolina Office on Disability and Health

Toys R Us Toy Catalog for Differently Abled Kids

Travelin' Talk Network is a global network of persons with and without disabilities who have joined together and formed a unique family of friends around the world. Members share knowledge about their hometowns, or help other members who are visiting or passing through in case of an emergency. Members can contact others before traveling to that area and get information prior to arriving.

United Spinal Association Provides and supports grass-roots advocacy, sports and recreation, and medical research, and accessibility services.

U.S. Golf Association, Resource Center for Individuals with Disabilities gathers, and makes available, vital information to potential or current golfers with disabilities and other interested members of the golf and medical communities.

U.S. Handcycling Federation is an association of individuals and organizations who share a common goal of health, fitness, and well-being for cyclists of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds. Handcycling is a form of adaptive cycling that enables athletes of all abilities to ride a “bike” exclusively using the upper body.

U.S. National Park Service

National Parks: Accessible to Everyone lists where paved trails are located, which visitors centers have captioned movies, and how to arrange for sign language interpreters.  New information is being added on an ongoing basis, including links to websites detailing the accessibility features of many individual parks.

VSA Arts Provides tools, resources and education for artists with disabilities, teachers and community organizations. Maintains a registry of visual, performing, and literary artists with disabilities, and an international database of educational research on the arts and disabilities.

Walk Your Way to Fitness: Walk, Workout, Be Active for People with Intellectual Disabilities Fitness course on DVD and CD-ROM by Iris Educational Media.  Designed for adults, support staff and learning partners, Disk 1 features a walking class.  Disk 2, "Work Out with Sonny and Pedro: Walk, Dance and Stretch Your Way to Fitness", presents workout routines of different lengths.

Wheelchair Getaways Rental franchise provides accessible van rentals for persons with disabilities in 32 states.

Wheelchair Softball Association serves as the governing body for wheelchair softball in the U.S. The game is played under the official rules of 16-inch slow pitch softball as approved by the Amateur Softball Association of America, with some exceptions geared toward the wheelchair user. Teams throughout America compete on a regular basis and hosts several tournaments throughout the summer. The NWSA hosts a national wheelchair softball tournament annually

Wheelchair Sports USA Organized geographically into fourteen regional associations, each responsible for developing local wheelchair sports programs and for conducting qualifying meets for the National Wheelchair Games in archery, track & field, shooting, swimming, table tennis and weightlifting. 

Wheelin' Sportsmen, division of the National Wild Turkey Federation is dedicated to providing people with disabilities, including disabled hunters, disabled anglers and other outdoor enthusiasts, with the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors.  Publishes Wheelin' Sportsmen Magazine.

Wilderness Inquiry Nonprofit organization brings people with and without disabilities together for skiing, canoeing, fishing and hiking vacations.

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Living Well under the Big Sky is a partnership between the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services and The University of Montana Rural Institute. We are funded by The Disability and Health Team, National Center on Birth Defects, Developmental Disabilities, and Disability and Health,
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

For more information, contact:

Meg Traci, Ph.D., Project Director
 Research and Training Center on Disability in Rural Communities
The University of Montana Rural Institute: 
A Center for Excellence in Disability Education, Research and Services
52 Corbin Hall
Missoula, MT 59812-7056
406-243-4956
matraci@ruralinstitute.umt.edu

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