Welcome to Options Outdoors!
Optionsoutdoors is a Site dedicated to helping people with disabilities to access accessible outdoor elements including locations for Nature Watching, Hiking, Deer Hunting, Waterfowl Hunting, and Fishing. Each of the sites listed were reviewed with accessibility and use in mind in order to give the individual reader an idea on whether it will be usable based on their disability.
Options has done a great deal of work with public and private organizations that have created outdoor elements specifically for people with disabilities or where they wanted to insure their public sites were accessible. Through the course of this work it has been our observations that few accessible elements were being used which we thought was due to the public's lack of knowledge of what is available. Additionally, we observed that people with disabilities have encountered elements they have presumed are accessible, but when they get there find they can't use it because of layout. For these reasons, we decided to develop a web site to inform people with disabilities about the types of elements that are available with descriptions of the site's layout and its features. Our observations are intended to help a person plan ahead, to figure out based on their disability whether they access the site or if they need other adaptive equipment.
If you have a favorite place you love to go and would be willing to share it we would invite you to sign in and enter the information. This site is designed so anyone anywhere can enter accessible elements. After logging in you can open up a data entry form with instructions on what to include, this will be reviewed by our staff. After acceptance we will contact you for up to five pictures that give readers an idea of the layout and the accessible features and we will then post it on the site. For persons that have a willingness to do more and a demonstrated competency we have higher levels of administrative permissions available in order for them to act as regional liaisons. If you belong to any clubs, organizations, or know other people with disabilities who may be interested in the information found on the site, please forward them a link and extend our invitation to them too add their favorite elements.
Our thanks go out to the Fraternal Order of the Eagles, Aries 350 located in East Grand Forks, Minnesota, the substantial underwriter of this site. We hope you will help get the word out about the site, and please add any elements you know about to expand use of the site. Thank you so much for visiting us, if you have any recommendations to improve the site, please do not hesitate to contact us.
OptionsOutdoors.org is funded by Options: Interstate Resource Center for Independent Living, a center for independent living serving Northwest Minnesota and Northeast North Dakota since 1986. Options is a 501-C-3 not for profit corporation. This site is independent of any Federal, State, or local units of governments; though managing entities are listed within this site their endorsement has not been sought or obtained. Options is wholly responsible for the content as observed at the time the element was visited and observations were documented. Please note what is written about here is based on observations at the time the site was viewed. Elements may have changed due to severe weather or misuse.
Donations
Donations are accepted and greatly appreciated and can be sent to our Office, please designate the donation for "OptionsOutdoors" attention Randy. If you would like to receive credit for time committed while volunteering please call our office and ask for Randy (218) 773-6100.
Options Interstate Resource Center for Independence
318 3 St NW
East Grand Forks, MN 56721
(800) 726-3692
(218) 773-6100 V/TTY
(701) 864-0296 Text Line
