Handicapped Accessible Guidelines for Hiders

[Dinoprophet]

I was scouting a location for a handicapped-accessible cache this morning, and I found I had many questions about the requirements, having no experience with wheelchairs myself. Just some questions I had were:

 

How high off the ground can it be, and how low to the ground, before it's out-of-reach?

 

How far onto grass (hard ground) is acceptable?

 

How long a distance (is 1 mile round trip on pavement/packed dirt?)

 

Anything else I didn't consider (I'm sure there are plenty of things).

 

I know there are several forums on this topic, but I wanted to see something more central for these guidelines. Thanks in advance.

[solohiker]

Why?

[+Lazyboy & Mitey Mite]

I think all wheelchair bound folks are as different as you and I. Some can enter races while others barely make it down to the corner. So what I have looked for whenever I say a cache is wheelchair accessable is room to move around. I figure flat is best. Room to get to the cache. Just imagine yourself in a huge chair, could you squeeze into an area with your lazyboy attached???

 

I'd even consider posting some pics of the cache area or the path in for those who might try to access it.

 

I am looking forward to those handicap accessable icons for our caches. Maybe we can get some more people out of the house?? After all, some people may not be in wheelchairs but they are limited as to how far they can walk. That goes for little tykes too I guess.

 

Never Squat With Yer Spurs On

[Team Dragon]

It all depends on what "wheelchair accessable" means. I have a couple of caches that I would consider wheelchair accessable. They wouldn't be accessable from the chair itself but the person in the chair can get to the site and if they can get out of the chair and move to another location a foot or two away, the cache can be found. I have others where the person could get real close but may not be able to reach the cache itself unless they can stand or bend and reach.

 

As was mentioned, there are various types of disabilities that cause someone to be in a wheelchair. If a cache has to be accessable by an 80 year old in a chair then forget it, none of mine fit. I prefer to base it around a reasonably healthy and fit person pushing their way along. Gravel on a slight hill is fine for my definition, as well as being able to get out of the chair for short periods of time.

 

I also recognize that I may not set expectations properly but I try and haven't had wheelchair bound flame-mail yet.

[Dinoprophet]

quote:

---

Originally posted by solohiker:

Why?

---

 

Because there are none in my area and there is a great park suited to it, i.e. paved trails. Is that what you're asking?

 

I guess my biggest question while checking sites was the grass/hard ground part. But from the replies so far, I'm gathering that I should assume someone who's going to go after such a cache is going to at the very least have a pretty robust chair. Just avoid the steep, rooty hills. Seems reasonable.

[robertlipe]

Disabilities are different things to different people. I think disclosure is probably the best plan. Six feet off the ground is a problem for someone in a chair, but not for someone on crutches. Tnngly vines are probably the opposite. Moms with strollers have needs that are similar, but different. Tell someone what to expect (without giving the cache away) and let them make the call.

 

Signed,

Knows Well a Geocaching Amputee Intermittently On Crutches.

[Steak N Eggs]

A ONE is chair accessible. A 1.5 with help and a lot of difficulty. A two, you better be walking. That is how I rate the caches I place.

 

"My gps say's it RIGHT HERE".

http://www.geogadgets.com

[+DougsBrat]

Originally posted by robertlipe:

Disabilities are different things to different people. I think disclosure is probably the best plan

QUOTE]

I agree focus on Abilities! and let them know what to expect.

like I did here http://www.geocaching.com/seek/cache_details.asp?ID=21968

 

No matter where you go... There you are!

[scooterj]

I've got a few that I have labeled as accessible. I struggled in deciding on each one because there is no fine dividing line that determines whether a person is disabled... nor is everyone with a disability disabled in the same way. The criteria that I use is that any person who is able to get around on their own with little to no assistance should be able to get to the site, and retrieving the container (or finding the plaque or whatever if it's a virtual) should require no more effort than a person might typically endure retrieving or observing a misplaced item within their own home.

 

While I use the ClayJar system to rate my caches, I have a slight personal modification that I use.

My personal modification is that I feel that anything with a rating below 2 on terrain or difficulty should be reachable by anyone who is capable of getting around on their own. If anything about the cache would make it difficult for someone with a disability to get it, I start the rating at 2. So, if one of my caches is rated 1 on terrain and 3 on difficulty, then it can be assumed that a disabled person will be able to reach the cache site but may require assistance from another individual to actually recover the cache. If I rate the terrain 1.5 then it means that most disabled people should still be able to get there but that it may be a bit more of a challenge.