In this episode, we talk with Kayla Lee, Director of the Adaptive Outdoor Education Center (AOEC) in Maine. Kayla helps make outdoor adventures possible for people of all abilities. She has always been passionate about working with people with disabilities and got her start by volunteering with an organization out West.
After moving to Maine, Kayla met Bruce and Annemarie Albiston, the founders of AOEC. Over the past 10 years, she’s helped grow AOEC from an accessible lodging location into a year-round program offering adaptive sports, outdoor adventures, and educational experiences. Today, AOEC serves over 1,000 people each year, helping individuals try new things, build confidence, and have fun in the outdoors.
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Episode Transcript
Quick Navigation (click the linked text below to jump to a new section)
- Intro
- Kayla’s Intro
- AOEC’s mission and how it got started
- AOEC’s activities and opportunities in outdoor settings
- Additional programs from AOEC
- Supporting the broader family and caregiver network
- How AOEC addresses barriers
- AOEC’s Adaptive Gear Library
- AOEC’s network of partners
- Building confidence, competence, connection, collaboration, and community
- Creating truly inclusive outdoor spaces and activities
- How AOEC is making positive advancements for people with disabilities and the outdoors
- Kayla’s final thoughts
*Edited for clarity*
Host 0:02
Welcome to Wellness, Health and Everything Else: a NCHPAD Podcast. NCHPAD is the National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability – the nation’s premier center dedicated to promoting the health and wellness of everyone. In each episode, we explore topics at the intersection of health, wellness and mobility limitations. If you have an idea for a topic, would like to learn more about a topic or are interested in our free resources, programs and partnership opportunities, email us at nchpad@uab.edu, give us a call at 866-866-8896 or check out our website at nchpad.org.
Music Interlude
In this episode, we talk with Kayla Lee, Director of the Adaptive Outdoor Education Center (AOEC) in Maine. Kayla helps make outdoor adventures possible for people of all abilities. She has always been passionate about working with people with disabilities and got her start by volunteering in other organizations. Over the past 10 years, she’s helped grow AOEC from an accessible lodging location into a year-round program offering adaptive sports, outdoor adventures, and educational experiences.
Kayla Lee 1:20
My name is Kayla Lee, and I’m the director at the Adaptive Outdoor Education Center. I’ve been lucky enough to be a part of the AOEC since it opened 10 years ago. In true nonprofit fashion, I do a little bit of everything here, from grant writing and program planning to managing our fully accessible lodge, as well as planning events, retreats and camps; I get to do it all.
Host 1:44
For those who may be learning about Adaptive Outdoor Education Center for the first time, Kayla describes AOEC’s mission, the Albiston Foundation and how it got started.
Kayla Lee 1:53
So, we are technically the Albiston Foundation. Bruce and Anne Marie Albiston are our founders, and we operate two arms of the nonprofit, so both the Aphasia Center of Maine as well as the Adaptive Outdoor Education Center. Bruce and Anne Marie got started in the world of aphasia. In short, loss of language, not intellect, affecting people’s ability to read, write, and speak. Anne Marie’s father had a stroke; he acquired aphasia, and they quickly learned how limited the resources were for the aphasia community, and also how isolating it was. From there, they started an annual retreat in his honor, and they saw the impact of one weekend on one population and wanted to do more. Bruce’s dream has always been to have a lodge on the East Coast; it’s sort of more of a popular model on the West Coast with like the National Ability Center or Breckenridge Outdoor Education Center. So, his dream was always to bring that model to the East.
So, in 2015, they broke ground on what is now the Adaptive Outdoor Education Center in Carrabassett Valley, and for those who have no concept of Maine geography, we are located at the base of Sugarloaf Mountain, which is the biggest ski area on the East Coast. So here we provide fully accessible overnight lodging to people with disabilities and their family and friends. And then in 2020, Bruce and Anne Marie bought a second campus a little bit closer to Southern Maine. That’s just a day program space. So, there we run programs, just two-hour programs for different groups and individuals, and then that space is also utilized by the general public. So, we just had a wedding there a few weekends ago. Different events like birthday parties, board meetings, all sorts of wonderful things happen there, and it’s a really wonderful community resource. So, two campuses here in Maine, and then from there, partnering with other organizations to provide year-round adaptive rec.
Host 3:59
AOEC offers a wide range of activities, from skiing and sailing to paddling, climbing, and nature education. Kayla discussed how being outdoors can create opportunities for growth or well-being that may not happen in more traditional health or physical activity settings.
Kayla Lee 4:14
I think our programs in particular are all about life skills in general. So, thinking about going skiing and all of the steps that it takes to do that activity, participants are learning how to put on different gear. They’re building social skills while they’re in ski school. It’s so much more than just going skiing, and so I like to think of all the different things that we offer encompassing mental, physical, and social health, rather than maybe just physical activity.
Host 4:45
AOEC also connects individuals to caregiver retreats, book clubs, music/film related events, and social clubs. Kayla talked about how those got started and the impact they have made on participants.
Kayla Lee 4:58
All of the programs that we offer are very much created because of people’s interest and them bringing ideas to us. We never want to create things that we think are cool or that people are interested in. We want to be creating things that people actually want. So, a big part of our program development and planning is bringing in people with that lived experience to help create programs.
So, for our caregiver retreat, it is led by this incredible woman named Heather, and she’s a caregiver. She’s also been cared for, so her perspective and her input in programming is huge. We run the Wheel Together Retreat, which is for adults with spinal cord injury, and it’s led by two incredible women who are wheelchair users who have spinal cord injuries, so we very much believe in bringing in the perspective and input from those with lived experience to ensure that the program aligns with what that community wants.
Host 5:53
Kayla explained why supporting the broader family and caregiver network is an important part of creating inclusive recreation opportunities for all.
Kayla Lee 6:01
When we get the family involved, it can become something that they get to do together. We want to introduce people and families to these different activities, but we also want it to be something that becomes a part of their regular lives. We don’t want people to have to just come to our two paddle days every summer. We want them to feel confident and engaged and capable to go out and do that as a family, so I really think that we can kind of be the introduction and bridge the gaps with uncertainty, nervousness, whatever it might be. But from there, if the whole family can have a successful and fun experience, then it can become something that they go out and do as a family.
Host 6:41
Here’s how AOEC addresses the barriers people with disabilities face when trying to access outdoor recreation.
Kayla Lee 6:47
I think this kind of goes back to what we just touched on as well, and that’s including people with lived experience in the process of planning programs. We also create a social story for all of our programs, which is an incredible resource. It uses pictures and words and sensory considerations to basically walk people through what to expect with that program. We work a lot with neurodivergent youth, and so having an understanding of what’s coming up, especially when they’re stepping outside of their routine, is a huge resource. So, for example, coming to Sugarloaf Mountain to ski in the winter? Really overwhelming place from the second you park. So, our social story walks through every step of the process. First, you’ll park here, then you’ll get on a shuttle bus. It could be really loud and crowded with other people. Where to go once that bus drops you off? We talk about the different gear that they will wear, like big, heavy ski boots or helmets that cover your ears. Just using a social story to help best prepare people for what to expect, and then if we’re working with people with physical disabilities or limitations, it allows them to see where they’re going and to be able to ask questions. Like if we were to share a picture of an entrance to a gymnasium, and they’re like, “Well, that has stairs. Is there a ramp?” It just allows them to help us prepare, as well as get their input on what they’re looking for and feel comfortable participating with.
Host 8:14
AOEC has an Adaptive Gear Library that gives people access to equipment they may not otherwise have the opportunity to try. Here’s the story of its creation and the impact it has made on the people and communities it serves.
Kayla Lee 8:26
Yeah, in Maine, there are a lot of different gear libraries throughout the state, which have helped people, schools, and universities access the outdoors, but they don’t tend to have any sort of adaptive equipment. And as we’ve grown as an organization, we’ve acquired a lot of awesome adaptive equipment through donations, through grants, and oftentimes we need that equipment maybe once a month when we’re running a program. So, it felt kind of silly that we just held onto it and it sat in our basement.
So, one of our newer initiatives has been the Adaptive Gear Library and being able to use all of these wonderful resources and equipment and offering it to people to rent and try. This has been an awesome resource for schools who are trying to get students out on field trips that might not be accessible. We’ve had kids who have just broken their leg and need a wheelchair to participate in PE or an after-school program. Also, as people are aware, adaptive equipment comes with a huge price tag, and so we want our gear library to serve as sort of a demo place where people can come, try equipment, see if they like it, see if it fits, and just have a space to be able to try it before they buy it, which has been a really huge resource. I think so often the marketing for a certain product looks really cool, and then someone uses it, and it doesn’t quite live up to what they expect or maybe what their needs are. So, this has been a super valuable offering and something that a lot of people have been utilizing, which is so cool.
Host 9:58
Kayla described AOEC’s network of connections with partners to achieve success with programs.
Kayla Lee 10:03
We are huge believers in collaboration in terms of staff. We’re a very small staff, but through collaboration, it’s allowed us to do so much. It also allows us to not, we don’t need to be the specialty expert in every activity that we do. Instead, we can partner with those people. Back to kind of that family, getting the family involved concept. I also think when we partner with an organization, it gives families a resource to turn to when they want to do programming outside of us. So, for example, for our paddling days, we partner with two different outfitters in Maine, and when those families come and paddle with us, well, now they have a resource of where they can go, a place that they’ve already had success at, a place that they know what to expect, and guides and people that they now have a connection to. So, I think collaboration is really powerful in that way, and again, it’s just allowed us to grow as an organization very quickly and offer so much more, which has been a great gift.
Host 11:05
The organization’s programs focus on more than the activity itself, including building confidence, competence, connection, collaboration, and community. Kayla talked about how those elements come together during a participant’s experience.
Kayla Lee 11:18
Yeah, I think starting with confidence, it takes so much confidence for people to step outside their comfort zone and just get to a program. I think there are a lot of variables, or perhaps people have had negative experiences in the past. So just celebrating that they got there is a huge win. And then from there, we can help build their confidence in that activity, in navigating new spaces, and hopefully building sort of a sense of belonging and connection in those places.
When it comes to competence, we want people to be learning alongside of us. There’s a really great organization out of Colorado called Paradox Sports, and they do adaptive climbing. Their tagline is “Partner, not passenger,” so including the person in learning how to do that activity. When we go rock climbing, they’re learning how to tie themselves in. They’re helping with safety checks, following all of the standards to learn how to do that activity, so that they can build that competence in that sport.
With connection and community, I think those are my favorite takeaways from programs. I think of the reason that I recreate. I love to mountain bike, and I love to ski, but it’s also largely based around the people that I get to spend my time with. So, when people come to program, yes, they’re learning how to do an activity, but they’re also creating community, and that’s so incredibly powerful in helping with that isolation piece. And then lastly, collaboration, which we just touched on. Building those connections, helping people utilize and find resources that work for them, and just building a community where people know they’re not alone.
Host 12:58
Kayla shared what she wishes more recreation providers, outdoor organizations and communities understood about creating truly inclusive outdoor spaces and activities.
Kayla Lee 13:08
I think this touches on the idea of including the person with lived experience. We get a lot of people who are building an accessible trail or want us to chat about a program that they’re offering and how it might be universal design, and so often my response is I’m happy to give my input and help, but also here are wonderful people to connect with that have lived experience. I think including those people in the process is invaluable. They live it every day, and they should be involved in what it should look like.
Host 13:42
Kayla highlighted the changes she would like to see in the relationship between people with disabilities and the outdoors, as well as the role AOEC hopes to play in advancing those changes.
Kayla Lee 13:52
I think I’d like to see awareness around what exists. There are so many incredible organizations throughout the country that are doing really awesome work, but people don’t know where to look and where to find them. When we do our Wheel Together Retreat, a lot of the people who come have never done adaptive recreation, and for me that feels sad and frustrating because once they get involved in something, it’s where they’re building community, where they’re building friendship, and so I think trying to find a way to bridge that gap. There are so many different resources in so many different areas. So how can we kind of create a central hub where people can find it all? There are awesome organizations like Move United and Kelly Brush Foundation, who are trying to create this model. But I think being able to share information and connect people to resources hopefully shouldn’t be so hard.
Host 14:50
Here are Kayla’s final thoughts.
Kayla Lee 14:52
Thank you for having us and thank you for allowing us to share a little bit more about what we do. We love to get people involved. Again, we have a fully accessible lodge in Carrabassett. So, if anyone wants to do a family trip or come up and see what we’re all about, we’re happy to have them. And if you have questions about adaptive rec or what might exist in your area, it doesn’t have to be in Maine. We’re always happy to be a resource and connect you to other resources.
Host 15:17
Thanks for joining us for another episode of Wellness, Health and Everything Else. If you want to learn more about the Adaptive Outdoor Education Center, we’ll have a link to their website in the episode details on streaming apps or on our website. For a full episode transcript, visit our website and find the episode in the podcasts and videos section or in the episode details on streaming apps. If you have questions about NCHPAD’s free resources, programs and partnership opportunities, email us at nchpad@uab.edu, call us at 866-866-8896 or check out our website at nchpad.org.