Adaptive Adventures - Adaptive Youth Adventures

Adaptive Youth Adventures - AYA

Every Friday, rain or shine, is devoted to Youth of any disability or special need, and their families. We call Fridays Youth Day with CRIS Adaptive Adventures. This is a day when Youth with special needs, mental or physical disability in the Okanagan Region, and their families, are invited to join our team of friendly volunteers for any of our daily activities. We could be kayaking on Okanagan Lake, hiking the top of Knox Mountain or cycling along the boardwalk in City Park, just to name a few. Can’t make Fridays? No worries! We will work with your schedule and arrange a time during the week that works best for you and your family.

In the School District

CRIS works together with educational professionals throughout the school district and other organizations such as the Boys and Girls Clubs to allow individuals with disabilities the chance to participate in school programs, field trips and other multi-day outdoor adventures in order to promote inclusion and equality.

“My Grade 9 class was going on a trip to Cathedral Lakes. The teacher sponsor was highly skeptical that I could participate because of my disability. With the help of CRIS, I was able to participate in this life-changing experience. With a little help, I proved to the teachers and students that anything is possible, no mater what obstacles stand in your way.”

“When my classmates all got together to pull me up the snow-covered mountain in the trial rider, it really demonstrated the power of teamwork and made me realize that anything is possible if you put your mind to it.”

“As I reached the top of the mountain, it felt like I was on top of the world. Although I was in a wheelchair, I had done it just like everyone else.”

If you are person with a disability or parent a person with a disability, contact the office on how we can make school cool!

Youth Days

Every week we dedicate one day to Adaptive Youth Adventures (AYA). This could be kayaking, biking or cycling. If you’re interested in participating in youth days, please contact the CRIS office. If you can’t participate in youth days, we still have many other programs for youth. We look forward to seeing you in the outdoors.

Children with Disabilities & Their Families

CRIS also works with individuals and their families to take participants with various disabilities on multi-day trips. If you would love to go on an outdoor excursion but you think it’s not possible, contact CRIS and see what options are available to make your next family vacation a memorable one.

Special Events

CRIS also provides individuals with disabilities to participate in special events such as the Spinal Muscular Atrophy Camp hosted in June. Participants got the chance to try adaptive hiking, cycling and kayaking. Everyone involved had the opportunity to demo activities and connect with others. CRIS is often facilitating new and exciting events. If you’re interested in participating, contact our office and experience the power of adaptive adventures.

To ensure safety, CRIS is run by friendly volunteers who are trained to work with our top of the line adaptive equipment. This ensures that any youth, regardless of their disability, can enjoy the outdoors safely and feel included. Our mission is to include youth with any special need, or disability, in our outdoor activities in hopes to promote independence, reduce isolation and improve overall well-being. At CRIS we are dedicated to helping youth overcome barriers by assisting them in experiencing the great outdoors in a unique and holistic way.

If you have any questions about our organization or how to go about getting involved, please do not hesitate to contact our office.

If you are interested in becoming a participant, please print and fill out one of our Participant Packages.