Handicaching.com

[+Opalblade]

I came to the forums for guidance after a reviewer asked me if my terrain 1 cache was worthy of the handicapped attribute. I was nervous about giving it that attribute b/c while a wheelchair can reach the spot, the cache is at ground level and I wasn't sure if someone could reach it from a wheelchair.

 

Anyway...I found this great website handicaching.com that lets you rate your own or others' caches in great detail including at what height the cache is located (ranges are given so it's not a dead giveaway), what the terrain is like, etc. You can also add notes.

 

Also an attributes icon generator called The Selector which includes an icon called "Handicapped Accessible" with a link to handicaching.com It has some fun additional attribute icons not found on Groundspeak. For example icons for Cache In Trash Out and Trade Up Trade Even or Don't Trade.

 

Below are links to one of my caches (where you can see the html generated by The Selector and Handicaching.com), a link to The Selector webpage, and to the Handicaching.com webpage:

 

My Cache Page

 

The Selector

 

Handicaching.com

Edited December 6, 2009 by Opalblade

[GOF and Bacall]

I came to the forums for guidance after a reviewer asked me if my terrain 1 cache was worth of the handicapped attribute. I was nervous about giving it that attribute b/c while a wheelchair can reach the spot, the cache is at ground level and I wasn't sure if someone could reach it from a wheelchair.

 

Anyway...I found this great website handicaching.com that lets you rate your own or others' caches in great detail including at what height the cache is located (ranges are given so it's not a dead giveaway), what the terrain is like, etc. You can also add notes.

 

Also an attributes icon generator called The Selector which includes an icon called "Handicapped Accessible" with a link to handicaching.com It has some fun additional attribute icons not found on Groundspeak. For example icons for Cache In Trash Out and Trade Up Trade Even or Don't Trade.

 

Below are links to one of my caches (where you can see the html generated by The Selector and Handicaching.com):

 

My Cache Page

 

The Selector

 

Handicaching.com

 

Thanks for pointing it out. I am surprised no one pointed you to that site when you asked as it has been talked about in these forums before. Just goes to show how we sometimes take things for granted.

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

I think it's a crying shame that Groundspeak and Handicaching.com haven't decided to collaborate over the years. It seems like such an obvious thing!

 

I use a wheelchair when I can but mostly cache on crutches so my limitations aren't that great. Here's how Handicaching.com rates my abilities:

 

H35553

 

H

3 = Distance to cache = 0.4 miles to 0.6 miles (0.6km to 1km)

5 = Route surface = Rough/bumpy/might need hands

5 = Route slope = MORE than 500ft (150m) or more than 20%

5 = Route obstructions = Climbing/crawling required

3 = Cache height = 0ft to 6ft above ground (0cm to 2m)

 

as determined by their rating tool at http://www.handicaching.com/yourrating.php

 

Now, why in the world can't every cache be rated using a tool like Handicaching.com's? (http://www.handicaching.com/rate.php)

 

Groundspeak already uses Difficulty and Terrain ratings, why not add

 

Distance to cache:

 

Route surface:

Choose the closest one. For routes with more than one surface type, choose the roughest one.

 

Route slope:

10% slope means for every 10ft or meters walked, the height has increased 1ft or meter. 20% slope means for every 10ft or meters walked, the height has increased 2ft or meters.

 

Route obstructions:

Choose the closest one. For routes with more than one obstruction, choose the worst one.

 

Cache height:

 

to give a cache rating like

 

Average rating: H35234

Average difficulty: (1.5)

Average terrain: (1.5)

 

Decoded rating:

 

H

3 = Distance to cache = 0.4 miles to 0.6 miles (0.6km to 1km)

5 = Route surface = Rough/bumpy/might need hands

2 = Route slope = 10% or less for LESS than 500ft (150m)

3 = Route obstructions = Small branches/moderate vegetation/steps

4 = Cache height = More than 6ft above ground (2m)

 

Then you would have a rating system that worked for everyone, able and disabled alike.

 

Using the two ratings from Handicaching.com,

My personal rating = H35553

The cache's rating = H35234

 

I can see at a glance that there is a problem... one of the cache's attribute numbers is higher than mine (the last digit in this case). I can't reach over 6' off the ground but the cache is higher than that. Right off the bat then I know that to get that cache I have to take someone with me.

 

If Groundspeak and Handicaching.com can't work together to create a common rating system on geocaching.com then Groundspeak should incorporate these few extra attributes into their own rating system.

 

As in the world of mergers and acquisitions I think Groundspeak incorporating Handicaching just makes sense!

Edited December 6, 2009 by TheAlabamaRambler

[+brslk]

I think it's a crying shame that Groundspeak and Handicaching.com haven't decided to collaborate over the years. It seems like such an obvious thing!

 

I use a wheelchair when I can but mostly cache on crutches so my limitations aren't that great. Here's how Handicaching.com rates my abilities:

 

H35553

 

H

3 = Distance to cache = 0.4 miles to 0.6 miles (0.6km to 1km)

5 = Route surface = Rough/bumpy/might need hands

5 = Route slope = MORE than 500ft (150m) or more than 20%

5 = Route obstructions = Climbing/crawling required

3 = Cache height = 0ft to 6ft above ground (0cm to 2m)

 

as determined by their rating tool at http://www.handicaching.com/yourrating.php

 

Now, why in the world can't every cache be rated using a tool like Handicaching.com's? (http://www.handicaching.com/rate.php)

 

Groundspeak already uses Difficulty and Terrain ratings, why not add

 

Distance to cache:

 

Route surface:

Choose the closest one. For routes with more than one surface type, choose the roughest one.

 

Route slope:

10% slope means for every 10ft or meters walked, the height has increased 1ft or meter. 20% slope means for every 10ft or meters walked, the height has increased 2ft or meters.

 

Route obstructions:

Choose the closest one. For routes with more than one obstruction, choose the worst one.

 

Cache height:

 

to give a cache rating like

 

Average rating: H35234

Average difficulty: (1.5)

Average terrain: (1.5)

 

Decoded rating:

 

H

3 = Distance to cache = 0.4 miles to 0.6 miles (0.6km to 1km)

5 = Route surface = Rough/bumpy/might need hands

2 = Route slope = 10% or less for LESS than 500ft (150m)

3 = Route obstructions = Small branches/moderate vegetation/steps

4 = Cache height = More than 6ft above ground (2m)

 

Then you would have a rating system that worked for everyone, able and disabled alike.

 

Using the two ratings from Handicaching.com,

My personal rating = H35553

The cache's rating = H35234

 

I can see at a glance that there is a problem... one of the cache's attribute numbers is higher than mine (the last digit in this case). I can't reach over 6' off the ground but the cache is higher than that. Right off the bat then I know that to get that cache I have to take someone with me.

 

If Groundspeak and Handicaching.com can't work together to create a common rating system on geocaching.com then Groundspeak should incorporate these few extra attributes into their own rating system.

 

As in the world of mergers and acquisitions I think Groundspeak incorporating Handicaching just makes sense!

 

Having some pretty serious arthritis, I agree with you 100%.

 

I pretty much limit myself to 1.5 terrain ratings and even those are tough on me some days. Some days they aren't.

I once did a 1.5 rating that involved about a 150 step stair climb. I can go up stairs not so bad... but the pounding my knees took on the way back down put me out of commission for the next two days.

 

I wouldn't even think of asking people to limit their hides to make it easy for everyone, just be honest about the terrain.

 

I am relatively young (39) and my arthritis is very progressive. 5 years ago I was able to climb steep hills and rocky terrain. Now I have trouble walking for more than an hour on an even floor.

 

Eventually I will be in a wheelchair and won't be able to cache at all. Until then, I would really like to find as many as possible.

 

I have been caching for about 3 months now and have only 33 finds. May not seem like a lot but, It is the most I can do. If I had the physical ability I did a few years ago, I would have hundreds.

A good day for me is finding 5.

 

Bruce.

[mtbikernate]

Thanks a lot for posting this link. My reviewer published my cache this week and asked about the "1" terrain rating and I just had no idea whether my cache was accessible or not. This handicaching site let me quantify the physical accessibility of the cache, and I put a link on my cache page to the ratings.

 

Turns out it's pretty high on the accessibility scale.

[Deceangi]

After a recent discussion about 1* ratings with my UK & Ireland colleagues, I've just added the following to my 1* Template

 

Hi please consider visiting Handicaching at http://www.handicaching.com/ which will allow you to suitably Rate your cache for Disabled access at all levels of capability. And will even create a active link to post on your cache page. Please remember we have members of all physical capabilities, Handicaching does not require you to have any specialised knowledge. But uses a series of simple to answer questions to create the ratings.

 

Thank you in advance for helping your fellow geocaching community members.

 

I've known about Handicaching.com for longer than I've been a Reviewer, and have even pointed people to it it in discussions. But stupidly never thought to edit the Template to add it until now.

 

The UK did have a Stats site [now sadly defunct] which allowed you to rate each cache you'd found from there onto the Handicaching site. And up to it going down, I had rated all my finds.

 

It's something that many who know about it take it for granted.

 

Deceangi Volunteer UK Reviewer