Jump to content

Handycaped accessable caches?


usmcski

Recommended Posts

Forgive my ignorance(Im new to geocaching) but I have a 13 yr old nephew who is in a wheelchair and was thinking he might like to get into something like geocaching.

I was just wondering is there such a thing as a handycaped accessable cache? Im guessing that one with a 1 star rating might be a place to start. It just seems like every time I get into something like this with my nephews me and my youngest nephwe end up having all the fun while my nephew thats in a wheelchair ends up not enjoying himself as much.

Link to comment

Check your local area for 1 (one) Star terrain caches. After you have a few, Email the cache owner and check to make sure it is wheelchair accessible.

 

A 1 (one) star terrain (according to the Geocaching.com rating) is supposed to be wheelchair accessible. Most people don't use that though. So you will need to check.

 

 

Good luck

 

====================================

As always, the above statements are just MHO.

====================================

Link to comment

usmski,

 

I have almost no experience with someone in a wheelchair, so it's hard for me to say for sure, but there are a lot of caches that a person in a wheelchair would be able to get very close to--although maybe not be able to actually find.

 

You may have to compromise a little, but email a local cacher and ask his/her opinion of some of the more accessible caches in the area.

 

I think what you'll find are a lot of caches that are located very near wooden or paved paths, and although the actual container may be hidden in an inaccessible place (such as under a log or something), you can still go as a group and not leave a wheelchair-bound person behind.

 

Jamie

Link to comment

Jamies has it right. A lot may allow the person to get close but not find. You will have to start with 1's in terrain. But nothing is consistant. I did a 1/1 recently that was closer to a 2/2.5 by the guidelines.

 

You will have to develop a feel for the cache hider, the terrain, your newphew's abilities and the like.

 

There is no reason why they can't do what they can even if it's driving you nuts by finding it before you even walk up to the site.

 

Wherever you go there you are.

Link to comment

i've had good luck with emailing the cache owners. i'm sure to describe the amount of physical ability my friend has, and ask the owner for an opinion. so far they've all been speedy and helpful.

 

it doesn't matter if you get to camp at one or at six. dinner is still at six.

Link to comment

Hello to all,

 

I think we should extend the unique accessibility skale in the sub-1-star region thus giving the quick info whether a cache is wheelchair-accessible. Remember, the rules up to now exclude the last 10m e.g. being accessible with plain shoes. I'd like to suggest to give

 

0.1 stars for total wheelchair accessibilty w/o any foreign help (= short distance from a parking lot & real drive-by feature until the last centimeters & access height low enough fo a sitting person [Yes - this is possible: Imagine a compartment in the pole of a street lamp to be opened with a common allen wrench icon_smile.gif ],

 

via 0.3 stars if a parking lot is a certain distance away which would make an average-trained wheel chair user feel challenged

 

up to 0.5 which means easy access, however an accompanying person will have to make up the last meters.

 

Just my suggestion,

 

Eddie

 

If privacy is outlawed only outlaws will have privacy !

Link to comment

quote:
Originally posted by Eddie from Berlin:

Hello to all,

 

[snip]

 

Eddie


Interesting idea... but most people already don't use the cache rating system, which states that one-star terrain should be "Handicapped accessible. (Terrain is likely to be paved, is relatively flat, and less than a 1/2 mile hike is required.)"

 

I don't think the answer is to make the rating process even more difficult.

 

Jamie

Link to comment

i think maybe the solution might be to have hiders who make accessible caches note it on the cache page. maybe an icon that i know captain morgan found for us, but i don't recall where-

or maybe just a searchable field regarding accessibility.

 

caches don't need to be accessible, but those that are should be so noted so our handicapped friends can find them.

 

i have a friend who's alol ready to go hunting, but she wants to be able to go with or without her husband. i'm doing the homework for them, since they're new.

 

it doesn't matter if you get to camp at one or at six. dinner is still at six.

Link to comment

Being unaware of the discussion re handicapped accessible caches, I e-mailed Geocache suggesting an icon designating caches as wheelchair accessible. I was less than thrilled with their response. Basically all they did was refer me to this forum and tell me 1 terrain ratings are accessible. Guess they don't geocache themselves as most 1 ratings I've done are definately not accessible. How sad they are not interested in accomodating the physically challenged by adding an icon to caches.

 

Bill & Jo

Link to comment

If people would only follow the guidelines there wouldn't be a need for the icon. A 1 star terrain is supposed to be wheelchair accessable, but it seems 90 percent of the cache owners ignore this, or are unaware of it. It's not the website's fault that users don't follow the guidelines.

 

One way to help, is if you find a 1 star terrain cache that is not wheelchair accessable, note this fact in your log. Maybe the owner will change the rating.

 

"You can only protect your liberties in this world, by protecting the other man's freedom. "You can only be free if I am" -Clarence Darrow

Link to comment

Guys, discussing new rating systems, as much as they may or may not be needed, isn't going to help this guy now.

Okay, I have three suggestions:

1) Post the question on the regional part of the forums, the people in each region are more familiar with the caches near them.

2) Tell us where you are, I can suggest some in northeast Ohio, but that won't help if you're in Alaska.

3) Try to find a local club. They will be familiar with every cache in the area. It might also get them thinking about placing wheelchair accessable caches.

That should get you started.

 

RichardMoore

 

www.geocities.com/richardsrunaway

Link to comment

Although many of the traditional caches are difficult for a person in a wheelchair, we found there are many other forms of geo-caching that can be entertaining for the wheelchair bound cacher. My wife and I, although not wheelchair bound, are limited in mobility and have fun finding many caches properly rated. But a relative who IS wheelchair bound had a lot of fun with a number of solutions...

 

1. As previously mentioned, have the wheelchair bound person operate the GPS and/or papers as close as they can get.

 

2. Locationless caches, especially the ones involving actual coordinates in a math puzzle, can be easy to accomplish.

 

3. Benchmark hunting often can be easily accessed.

 

4. Recording coordinates of local points of interest, or interesting graves in a cemetery.

 

A little imagination can go a long way to help a restricted person become involved.

 

Good luck in all your efforts!

 

M-D-M Explorations

MrSki and DogMa

40? 07.874'N

88? 11.647'W

Link to comment
Guest
This topic is now closed to further replies.
×
×
  • Create New...