Christmas with the Mermaids (Manatees)

Guest blog post by Bob Vogel

Rays of sunlight broke through early morning mist as I piloted the pontoon boat toward an area where the gentle giant manatees are known to congregate. Our eyes combed the calm waters looking for swirls created by the mammal’s huge, flat, mermaid-like tail. “I see a swirl! Look there’s another!” shouted my daughter Sarah and her best friend, Alyssa, as they excitedly watched a mother and her calf swim by the boat. Dropping anchor, we donned our gear, I transferred to my ROHO^® ADAPTOR^® Pad protector on the deck of the boat and got ready to join the others in the water to begin our quest — snorkeling with manatees.

In early December, my ten-year-old daughter Sarah and I flew to Florida for an early Christmas vacation — snorkeling with manatees was our main goal. Sharing our adventures were Sarah’s best friend Alyssa and her mother Debbie Pettit.

Our base for the manatee adventure was the town of Crystal River, Florida, home of the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge — an area that supports the Florida’s largest concentration of manatees during winter months.

Manatees have a walrus-like face, two front flippers, and a large, flat, rounded tail. Adult manatees average 10–12 feet in length and they weigh between 1,000–1,500 pounds. When ancient sailors saw their long flat tails they mistook them for mermaids or sirens and were disappointed that they weren’t as attractive as the legends say. During the summer months they roam in warm, shallow coastal waters from Virginia to Louisiana. As ocean waters grow colder during winter months they swim inland to Florida’s warmer spring fed rivers — peak months to view them in these areas are November through March.

Protected by strict state and federal laws, it is illegal to harass manatees — this includes swimming toward them. But manatees are curious and playful and when you remain still, they will often swim up and gently rub against you in a motion that any dog owner will recognize, “rub my back.” According to the rangers I spoke with, when a manatee swims up to you, it is OK to gently rub or scratch them.

As we hovered in the water, the first manatee gently swam by — for Sarah and Alyssa, having a 10-foot creature swim this close was a bit scary at first and they decided to get back in the boat and watch. The manatee came up to me and I gently scratched its back and it rolled over like a 1,000-pound puppy wanting a belly rub. After playfully scratching its back and belly for a while I slowly swam back to the boat — and the manatee followed, wanting more scratches. At this point Sarah, Alyssa and Debbie joined me and we all took turns letting the gentle giant swim up to us for back scratches and belly rubs.

When we finally climbed back in the boat I checked my watch — thinking we had been in the water for about ten minutes — we had been in the water for 1½ hours, the experience was so powerful that we lost track of time.

The dock and pontoon boat at the Crystal River Lodge Dive Center were fairly easy to wheel onto and there was plenty of width to spare on each side of my (14” seat width) chair. There is no lift on the boat, so getting into and out of the water requires good upper body strength and/or strong companions.

Our next stop was an amazing visit to Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park. The fully accessible park that offers manatee encounter programs, boat tours and showcases native Florida wildlife including alligators, panthers, black bears, bobcats and key deer.

The following day we drove to Clearwater Marine Aquarium to see Winter the dolphin, star of the film “A Dolphin’s Tale,” the true story about a bottlenose dolphin that was fitted with a prosthetic after he lost his tail from becoming entangled in a crab trap. It was very cool that the aquarium and animal rescue center are exactly as they appear in the movie — and fully accessible.

After watching Winter, Debbie said, “You swim like him.” When Winter isn’t wearing his prosthetic tail he propels himself with his pectoral fins. When I snorkel I propel myself by waiving webbed finger gloves at my side. Debbie said “I was following you when we were with the manatees, and the way you swim with your webbed gloves looks just like Winter when he swims.” I thought. “Wow, me and Winter. That is cool!”

Last but not least on our adventure was a day at Universal Studios, — Sarah and Alyssa’s focus was The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. I haven’t read the Harry Potter books and have only seen a few of the movies, however the park is so cool that I got caught up in the excitement along with the other muggles and I’m now looking forward to reading the books.

The feature ride of the park is Harry Potter and the Forbidden Journey, which takes you through fully accessible passageways and corridors of Hogwarts Castle and School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. The tour culminates with a state of the art, four-person flight simulator that takes you on a wild flight behind Harry on his broomstick through the castle, past the Whomping Willow and a horde of Dementors, into a Quidditch match. There is a secret (much faster) wheelchair entrance and a car reserved for wheelchair users and their families.

The side-to-side, up and down movement of the ride is intense and wheelers must be able to transfer to the (hard plastic) seat under their own power to be able to go on the ride. Once again, my ROHO ADAPTOR^® Pad enabled me to safely enjoy the ride. Because the ride was a bit much for Sarah, the staff let Debbie and Alyssa go first. When they returned from the 5-minute ride it was my turn — Debbie stayed with Sarah and Alyssa got to stay on the ride with me. Alyssa got to ride twice and the ride was amazing! As a hang-glider pilot it takes quite a bit to impress me — this really felt like flying — flying through the world and stories of Harry Potter from the Forbidden Forrest to playing Quidditch! Even better — when the ride was over, the staff said, “You are welcome to stay on and ride again if you want!”

On the flight home I reflected on sharing the adventures of our Florida Christmas trip — more adventures to add the treasure chest of memories.

Resources:

• Clearwater Marine Aquarium: www.seewinter.com
• Crystal Lodge Dive Center: www.manatee-central.com
• Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park: www.floridastateparks.org/homosassasprings/

 

___________________________________________

Bob Vogel, 51, is a freelance writer for the ROHO Community blog. He is a dedicated dad, adventure athlete and journalist. Bob is in his 26th year as a T10 complete para. For the past two decades he has written for New Mobility magazine and is now their Senior Correspondent. He often seeks insight and perspective from his 10-year-old daughter, Sarah, and Schatzie, his 9-year-old German Shepherd service dog.

Try Out a New Adaptive Sport this Winter Season

Guest blog post by Bob Vogel

Winter is here, temperatures are falling and so is the snow. This is Mother Nature’s way of telling wheelchair users “I’ve covered the outdoors with an amazing accessible blanket of snow and ice. Switch from wheels to skis or skates, and come out and play!”

Adaptive gear for winter sports has evolved to the point where people with almost any disability level can actively participate. It’s time to grab your warm clothing, choose your preferred method of gliding, skating or sliding and play in the winter wonderland. Here are some ideas.

Adaptive Downhill Skiing

For enjoying a dance with gravity in stunning mountain surroundings, adaptive downhill skiing is the ticket. There are several types of adaptive skis for wheelchair users. One option is a bi-ski — a molded bucket-style seat mounted to a frame attached to two, wide, specially designed skis — enables anybody to ski. For skiers that have hand movement, bi-skis can be turned using outriggers — forearm crutches with small skis attached at the tip used for balance and for turning. Bi-skiers are usually “tethered” — a stand-up skier holds a tether made of climbing webbing to assist speed control and turning — and also assisted on and off the lift. If you have the ability to move your head you have the ability to turn a bi-ski and enjoy the slopes.

 

 

Mono-Ski

A mono-ski — a molded bucket-style seat mounted on a suspension system and shock absorber mounted to a standard snow ski — is arguably the ultimate sports prosthetic. Expert mono-skiers shred the entire mountain and back country — from powder, to terrain parks, to extreme steeps and huge jumps the same as stand-up skiers. The learning progression, and length of time it takes to become proficient at mono-skiing is similar to stand-up skiing. Although trunk muscle control makes the sport much easier to learn, I know several low level quadriplegics — including a C6/7 complete quad — that are accomplished mono-skiers.

Nordic Sit Ski

If you are looking to get away from the crowds and glide through the beauty and quiet of nature — nordic sit skiing is for you. A nordic sit ski (also called XC sit ski) is a lightweight molded bucket-style seat mounted on two cross-country skis — the rig is propelled with ski poles. XC sit skis are surprisingly easy to propel, and the polling action helps keep shoulders healthy and balanced by working the muscles in the back of the shoulder. The sport can be as simple as a XC glide over a meadow or through the woods, to multi-day hut trips — skiing from one cabin to the next, to races of anywhere from half-kilometer to 20 kilometers.

Skijouring

A fun addition to XC sit skiing that I enjoy is skijouring, getting towed by one or more dogs. When I’m out XC skiing with my daughter Sarah and Schatzie, my German Shepherd service dog, I attach a tether to Schatzie’s harness and yell “squirrels!” to enjoy a high-speed winter dog tow.

Sledge Hockey

Perhaps hockey is your game. Sled hockey, also known as “sledge” hockey is an international and Paralympic sport with the same the same high-speed excitement as stand-up hockey, but adapted to a sitting position. A hockey sled is a molded bucket seat mounted on a lightweight aluminum frame, mounted on standard hockey skate blades. Players hold a hockey stick in each hand, the bottom of the each stick is fitted with a serrated spikes used to propel the sled. Simple adaptations like duct tape enable people without hand-grip to play. Hockey sleds are easy to propel, and a good player can reach high speeds and carve sharp turns and high speed check stops.

Adaptive Skating

A very cool spin off of sled hockey is adaptive skating. The potential for possible high-speed impact in sled hockey is a bit much for my aging brittle bones — but thanks to sled hockey’s popularity, many ice rinks offer hockey sleds, usually at no cost, or the cost of rental skates. I have a blast going to my local rink, strapping into a hockey sled and skating with Sarah. It is a fun workout and also helps keep shoulders healthy by working the same muscles as cross-country skiing. Ask your local rink if they offer sleds, if they don’t suggest they get one, most will be happy to purchase one since it means more business for them.

Dog Sledding

Dog sledding is another unique activity, ready made for wheelers. I’ve had the opportunity to go dog sledding and it’s an amazing way to travel into the winter wilderness. Riding in a dog sled, the only sounds are the hiss from the runners of the sled and the pitter-patter of dog paws. The tether to the dog team seems to make a direct connection to your senses, and watching ten wagging tails in front of you — running with its pack towing a sled through the snow on a crisp clear winter day, must be a blast for a dog. The experience is sure to put an ear-to-ear grin on your face. Dog sled operations are surprisingly common in snow country and trips range from 45-minute outings, to half day and even full day trips.

So pick a winter pastime, and enjoy mother nature’s winter adaptive blanket. See you on the snow!

Resources:

Adaptive Ski Programs

• Adaptive Adventures: www.adaptiveadventures.org
• Disabled Sports USA Far West: www.dsusafw.org
• Disabled Sports USA: www.dsusa.org
• Adaptive Ski & Sport Programs — Once on the page, scroll down to the map of the U.S. and click on the state where you want to ski: www.sitski.com/pg3.htm
• National Ability Center: www.discovernac.org

Dog Sledding:

• Wilderness Inquiry: www.wildernessinquiry.org
• Wintergreen Dogsled Lodge: www.dogsledding.com

Nordic Sit Skiing:

• Environmental Traveling Companions: www.etctrips.org
• Crested Butte Adaptive Sports Center: www.adaptivesports.org
• National Ability Center: www.discovernac.org
• Northeast Passage: www.nepassage.org
• Ski For Light: www.sfl.org
• Turning Point Tahoe: www.turningpointtahoe.com
• Wilderness Inquiry: www.wildernessinquiry.org

Sled Hockey:

• National Ability Center: www.discovernac.org
• Ski For Light: www.sfl.org
• United States Sled Hockey Association: www.usahockey.com/disable_hockey/default.aspx?NAV=AF_14&ID=62272

___________________________________________

Bob Vogel, 51, is a freelance writer for the ROHO Community blog. He is a dedicated dad, adventure athlete and journalist. Bob is in his 26th year as a T10 complete para. For the past two decades he has written for New Mobility magazine and is now their Senior Correspondent. He often seeks insight and perspective from his 10-year-old daughter, Sarah, and Schatzie, his 9-year-old German Shepherd service dog.

Gift Ideas for the Holidays

The holiday shopping season can be a little intimidating, especially when you’re trying to find the perfect gift for the person who has everything. We’ve compiled a few ideas for an assortment of interests to help inspire your wish list and gift giving this year. Now, we aren’t endorsing these products, nor have we tested them. We just thought that they looked pretty cool.

 

Children

Wheelchair Pals

Wheelchair Pals are fun and practical by covering the armrest for extra comfort while adding personality to the wheelchair. ($29.95)

 

 

 

 

Build-A-Bear with Wheelchair

Gift the gift of a personalized stuffed animal from Build-A-Bear that’s perfect for any kid. You can customize the animal’s clothing and accessories to match the interests and personality of the child.

 

 

 

 

 

Convertible Sled & Wagon

Enjoy more outdoor adventures with the kids in the snow and sun. The kids will love this wagon from Mountain Boy Sledworks during the summer months that easily converts into a sled during the winter months. ($279.99 US, $299.99 CAD)

 

 

Explorer™ Learning Game: I SPY® super Challenger!

Enjoy the game of I SPY from your own childhood while using logic, language and math skills to solve 50 riddles and 4 arcade-style games. ($24.99 from LeapFrog)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tech Geeks

Speech Recognition Software

Speech recognition software or speech-to-text software can be a lifesaver for anyone with limited hand dexterity. The software allows for you to control a computer by voice such as surfing the internet or typing an email and it has increasingly improved over the past few years. There are several different software options but the best are Dragon by Nuance ($99.99 to $199.99) and Windows Speech Recognition. Apple has also just released Siri on the iPhone 4S that allows you to make phone calls, schedule meetings, send text messages and more just by your voice.

 

Tablet

Tablets make reading magazines, books or newspapers a lot easier and more convenient. Not only do you eliminate fumbling through pages, you can also surf the web, check your email or even play a game of Angry Birds. With the growth of the Android operating system, new tablets have appeared on the scene. A few of the most popular are the Apple iPad 2 ($499 and up), Amazon Kindle Fire ($199), Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 ($629.99), HTC Flyer ($299 and up), HP TouchPad ($99.99–$149.99), BlackBerry PlayBook ($199 and up), Motorola Xoom ($199.99) and the Barnes & Noble NOOK ($99–$249).

 

TV Show Seasons on DVD

Catch up on a few of the missed episodes or seasons of your loved one’s favorite TV shows. Or, why not expose them to one of your favorites. A few of my favorites to consider are Friends, Dexter, Arrested Development, The Office or Law and Order.

 

 

 

Fashionistas

3E Love Gear

3E Love’s International Symbol of Acceptance (the wheelchair heart logo) drives the company’s mission to “provide the tools for others to embrace diversity, educate society, and empower each other to love life.” The company has both an amazing back story and cool gear. They have a wide selection of apparel and accessories on their store including t-shirts, sweatshirts, necklaces, tote bags and more.

Adaptive Clothing

There are several companies that specifically make clothing to fit the needs of wheelchair users that provide both comfort and style. A few of the modificationsA few of the more popular brands are Lega Wear, Versa Access Wear, AG Apparel and Rollin’ Wear.

 

 

 

 

Touchscreen Gloves

Now you can keep your hands warm while still being able to use your touchscreen gadget. ($17.99 and up from Agloves)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Active Lifestyle

Fishing Pole Holder for Wheelchairs

The Fishing Pole Holder for Wheelchairs clamps your fishing pole onto your chair for one-handed use. ($39.95)

 

 

 

 

Adaptive Sports Equipment

If there’s a sport or activity that you enjoy, chances are that there’s an adaptive chair or equipment for you. Whether it’s a handcycle, snow chair that easily convert to an outdoor wheelchair ($1995), tennis wheelchair, wheelchair for hunting or camping and more. You can find more products on USA Tech Guide’s list of adaptive sports equipment.

 

 

 

Bowling Ramp

The bowling ramp can be easily placed at the front of the lane and can be used while sitting or standing. The bowler just gives the bowling ball a slight push to roll it down the lane. ($188.20)

 

 

 

 

Nikon COOLPIX® AW100 Camera

The Nikon COOLPIX AW100 Camera has a built-in GPS, survive in up to 33 feet of water and is freeze-proof. It can take 16-megapixel photos and has a 1080p HD video camera. Take a camera along that can survive all of the adventures. ($379.95)

 

 

Pocketknife

Every outdoor adventurer needs a pocket knife. Find the perfect pocket knife for your love one’s activities whether it’s hunting, camping, cycling or basketball.

 

 

 

Gamer

Evil Controllers Game Controllers

Evil Controllers is a company that specifically designs accessible controllers for gamers. They offer standard products, but can also custom build controllers for an individual’s specific needs. A couple of these include a six-button programmable controller, one-handed controllers, Thumb-Stick Click Mods and a Sensitive Controller .

 

 

My Golf Game featuring Ernie Els

“My Golf Game featuring Ernie Els” is a one-switch golf game for PC can be played using touch-screen, joysticks, speech recognition and other accessible equipment. ($34.95)

 

 

QuadJoy

QuadJoy is an orally-controlled mouse for those unable to use a hand-held mouse. The inventor of the product, Tom Street, was quoted saying, “It might not open doors, but it will open many Windows.” ($800 for the complete basic unit)

 

 

 

Trabasack Connect

No more worrying about dropping the expensive controller on the floor. Trabasack is a bean bag laptray that allows you to mount switches, consoles and adapted controllers to the soft velour surface using ‘hook’ tape to provide a secure and comfortable mount. Not only that, but it can also be used as a backpack for easy transportation. (£34.95–£44.95)

 

 

 

 

 

MattVision Card Holder

Unlike other card holders on the market, the MattVision Card Holder uses mirrors to let the player see their own cards while preventing other people from sneaking a peek. There are two versions, a 2 Card Viewer ($75) and a 13 Card Viewer ($80).

 

 

Foosball Game

Adventure back to dorm-room days when a rec-room classic.

 

 

 

 

Traveler

ROHO Cushion for Travel

Gift the gift of a travel cushion for the car, plane, construction or farm work or the office. You happen to be in luck because The ROHO Store is having a special sale for the month of December. The Black Ultra Leather® Cover LTV® Seat Cushion and the AIRHAWK™ Truck Seat Cushion System are both $20 OFF.

 

 

 

Travelon® Smart Tubes

Travelon Smart Tubes are perfect for airport travel. They’re spill and leak proof, dishwasher safe, and easy to open and close. ($24.99)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Takeout-Menu Organizer

Alright, so this one might have more to do with staying in than going out, but we still think it’s a great idea. Give the gift of a little organization. ($21 from Knock Knock)

 

 

 

 

Online Music Gift Card

Gift the traveler in your life the gift of music to pass the time on a 10-hour flight. A few options are gift cards to iTunes, Amazon or Spotify.

 

 

 

Wheelchair Accessories

ROHO Cushion

Why not add a back-up or travel ROHO Cushion to the list this year? Protect you or a loved one while providing extra comfort.

 

 

 

Umbrella Holder for Wheelchairs

The Umbrella Holder for Wheelchair easily attaches to the wheelchair, walker or even a stroller. It not only holds the umbrella while it’s in use, but it can also hold it folded. ($42.95)

 

 

 

 

 

Wheel Covers

Wheel covers are great for helping keep the home and office floors clean. The wheel covers are especially great during the winter to prevent dragging snow, ice and slush indoors.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Host(ess) Gifts

Wine Sampler

Why give the host(ess) just one bottle of wine when you can give a sample of six. You can choose from several different collections like Napa’s Hidden Gems ($39.99) or make your own from Tasting Room. Right now they’re running a special that you can save $10 any sampler if you sign up for their email list.

 

 

Chocolate Assortment

Who doesn’t love chocolate during the cold months? You can buy the gift from a local candy shop or find shop online.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Do you have other ideas that you think would be great to add to the list? We’d love to hear your suggestions.