Bespoke Services
Activity Design
We can provide advice on designing and improving activity environments to be more accessible. With the changing nature of climbing walls catering more for families, beginner climbers and young people, many of the styles of walls offer very accessible climbing. We can offer advice on small subtle changes such as lighting systems, sound systems, autistic friendly environments, accessible bouldering and safe vertical hoists systems.
Many of the changes can be very easily built into existing systems resulting in small costs.
Technical Advisory
We can provide guidelines and advice on good quality and safe practice. Disability activities require exactly the same procedures that you would go through with any activity practice and to some extent may need more preparation due to making adaptations to existing systems.
We are a listed provider of technical advice on the Association of Mountaineering Instructors database; in addition we are members of the Institute of Outdoor Learning and the BMC Equity Steering Group and regular adviser on accessible activities to the BMC and Mountain Training. This enables us to keep an ear very closely to the ground regarding what is good practice and what is happening in the outdoor sector.
A typical TA will be a visit to the premises to go through paperwork and procedures. In addition we can also provide researched ways of improving accessibility. We work in affordable and practical ways using, as much as possible, the existing skills of both the centre and the staff.
Risk Assessments
Drawing up Risk Assessments for disabled people can cause anxiety because of the complexities of the subject. To simplify this we have a system where you will have a number of risk assessments which cover disabilities in a broad sense, but work with an individual. The focus will be on the noncoal and building a risk assessment specific to that person. We encourage a system that focuses on the ability rather than disability of a person. Supporting a person centred provider builds both confidence and trust in the provider and the recipient.
Information/Medical Forms
All climbing facilities have an information/medical form. Many of the forms don’t really support a system where a person can go into more detail about their disability. This form is critical to the gathering of the first bit of information and, more importantly, to the procedures which support that information gathering.
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Many disabled people will stay away from an activity environment because they don’t feel supported in accessing it. We can assist in developing more user friendly systems regarding how enquiries are received, what information you gather and what you do with that information.
Site specific training
A number of the activities included in Climbing for All are outside the remit of a person holding their Rock Climbers Instructors or Climbing Wall Instructors award. In addition a number of the systems are not typical climbing systems.
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We don’t want to make this a barrier to participation so we look at simple, practical systems to enable people to begin delivering.
We encourage, as much as possible, participants to use their common sense and existing skills gained from other climbing experiences to use the systems.
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A typical site specific training session for accessible climbing involves course attendance, a visit from myself to watch over set up, and delivery with a sign off.
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Examples of making this efficient:
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Pre rigged set ups
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Working with the manager of existing Technical advisor on training systems
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Appointing the most experienced climber as activity lead.
Activity Design
We can provide advice on designing and improving activity environments to be more accessible. With the changing nature of climbing walls catering more for families, beginner climbers and young people, many of the styles of walls offer very accessible climbing. We can offer advice on small subtle changes such as lighting systems, sound systems, autistic friendly environments, accessible bouldering and safe vertical hoists systems.
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Many of the changes can be very easily built into existing systems resulting in small costs.
Kit Advice
A great deal of kit used in accessible climbing is off the shelf, with no changes or adaptations, which makes the idea of providing accessible climbing much more affordable. We have worked with the key players in the sector in designing affordable accessible harnesses that provide a brilliant opportunity for even the most physically disabled person to have a climb.
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We can provide a list of kit and advice on how to use equipment without compromising industry standards. In addition, we provide simple ways of adapting existing equipment for use by disabled people.
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Learning to use equipment in the disability environment encourages you to think in more detail about the devices that you use; this supports you in any future learning.