Colorado Discover Ability

About

Colorado Discover Ability (CDA) was created by special education teachers 45 years ago to provide outdoor recreation to people with disabilities. CDA started initially to provide opportunities for skiing, and has since expanded to add cycling, summer camps, sled hockey, river rafting, and other water sports.

Categories Program Adaptive Sports Adults Children & Youth Older Adults

Program Details

We believe in the transformative power of recreation. Our mission is to provide inclusive outdoor opportunities that empower individuals of all abilities to experience the joy and freedom of adventure. Our programs include skiing and snowboarding, cycling along the scenic Riverfront trail, sled hockey, rafting the Colorado River, and summer adventure camps. The latter includes paddle boarding, kayaking and other water sports, disc golf, horseback riding, river rafting, and camping.

Every individual has unique needs, so we provide specialized adaptive equipment and trained volunteers to make participation in each of these activities possible. All of our programs weave instruction, safe practices, and stewardship of our public lands into fun activities. Our participants report experiencing greater mental health, confidence, friendship, and—above all—joy.

Cost to Participate
These participation costs are set to be affordable to our participants. Over 75% of our participants pay little or no cost thanks to grants and scholarships. Below are the costs for each activity:

Cycling - $25
Hockey program - $25
Summer adventures - $20
Overnight camping - $460
Rafting - $85
Team Powderhorn - $400 (season)
Skiing - $200

Our budget reflects gap costs for our programs to include the administrative, equipment, and overhead costs for running our highly specialized programs, which are considerably higher than what we can charge participants. We use those numbers in our grant writing, and are available on request.

Contact Kady Ostowick, Executive Director kady@cdagj.org (970) 257-1222 Colorado Discover Ability

Populations Served
All people with disabilities, including children, youth, adults, and veterans.

Staff Composition
Executive Director
Operations Manager
Program Director
Program Manager
100+ Volunteers

As the number of participants continues to grow, we will need to add an additional program manager and a volunteer coordinator to our staff. We currently have a waiting list for all of our summer programs.

Services Offered
Activities include:

Skiing and snowboarding
Cycling
Summer adventures, including horseback riding, rafting, and other water sports, disc golf, cycling, and camping

We provide adaptive equipment and one-on-one coaching and assistance to each individual.

Research Connections

We have recently started partnering with the Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy programs at Colorado Mesa University. Although they have not used our program for research, they have reached out to our participants for other research such as adaptive travel.

A group of participants pose for a picture to celebrate a women’s camping trip at Ridgway Colorado. Behind them is a clear lake surrounded by lush greenery.

Five participants form a team and gear up for a sled hockey scrimmage. They are seated on their sleds on the ice inside an arena.

A group of participants cycle with trikes along the Colorado River front trail, which includes a shaded paved path for easy biking. They are biking past a playground under a canopy of trees.

Two participants pet a small horse through a pen at Harmony Acres; bonding with animals is a favorite activity at CDA’s summer adventures.

Participants wearing life jackets enjoy river rafting during a clear sunny day. The river itself is vast and lined with dense, green trees.

During adaptive racing, a CDA staff member guides a participant wearing a racing bib number as they slide down a snowy hill in a bi-ski.

Recent Case Studies

A large sculpture of an animal head made from plants, with one side of the head resembling a child’s rocking horse, and the other side a dinosaur.

Place

Glenstone

A contemporary art museum in Potomac, Maryland, Glenstone has transformed former disparate residential properties into a contemplative, integrated experience with unique architecture, rolling topography, native meadows, and outdoor art.

Two children play on modern-styled exercise equipment with an adult standing near one of them. There are trees, shrubs, and perennials planted on either side and a street with parked cars in the background.

Place

Ricardo Lara Linear Park

Once a flood-prone dumping ground along Interstate 105 in Lynwood, California, Ricardo Lara Linear Park is now a community-focused park that includes a one-mile walking trail, two playgrounds, a community garden, and exercise stations.

Program

Groundwork USA's National Experiential Learning Program

Groundwork USA’s National Experiential Learning Program is a summer program that brings youth and young adults from communities across the Groundwork Network to some of our nation’s most iconic National Parks where they connect to the land through experiential learning, workforce development, stewardship, and recreation.