Philip Shadle, CEO, Aimee Copeland Foundation opens outdoor accessibility for disabled individuals with all-terrain wheelchairs. My endorphins flow. Yeehaw!
Summary
This podcast episode features an interview with Philip Shadle, CEO of the Aimee Copeland Foundation, discussing the transformative impact of all-terrain wheelchairs on accessibility and outdoor experiences for individuals with disabilities.
The podcast underscores the importance of accessibility and inclusion in outdoor activities, celebrating the collaborative efforts of organizations, individuals, and communities to enhance the lives of people with disabilities.
Click here to view the printable newsletter with images. More readable than a transcript, which can also be found below.
Contents
Table of Contents
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EpisodeProemPodcast introOff-road wheelchair travelIntroducing Philip ShadleTravel in Costa RicaFoundation Business ModelAll-Terrain Wheelchair Models Call to actionTraining for Off-Road TravelBirthing the FoundationExpanding the Foundation OfferingsGratefulContestReflectionPodcast Outro
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Production Team
Kayla Nelson: Web and Social Media Coach, Dissemination, Help Desk
Leon van Leeuwen: article-grade transcript editing
Oscar van Leeuwen: video editing
Julia Higgins: Digital marketing therapy
Steve Heatherington: Help Desk and podcast production counseling
Joey van Leeuwen, Drummer, Composer, and Arranger, provided the music for the intro, outro, proem, and reflection, including Moe's Blues for Proem and Reflection and Bill Evan's Time Remembered for on-mic clips.
Podcast episodes on YouTube from Podcast.
Inspired by and Grateful to
Ann Boland, Bruce Kimmel, Olivia Zivney, Linda DeRosa, and all my many helpers
Links and references
Camino de Santiago pilgrimages,
Costa Rica
Aimee Copeland Foundation
Action Track Chair in different sizes.
Episode
Proem
According to the CDC
A disability is any condition of the body or mind (impairment) that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities (activity limitation) and interact with the world around them (participation restrictions).
Clearly, it's not a legal definition. I would add self-image, societal perceptions, and environment as components of that definition. Some days, I feel more disabled than other days, and some situations enhance or reduce my abilities. Ability/Disability is a continuum that changes over time and situation. Travel accentuates my abilities - puts them in high relief - for me. Travel requires close examination of my abilities so I can figure out how to manage minute-to-minute - constant decision-making. Travel allows me to stretch my capabilities. It’s exhilarating and eventually exhausting. Periodically, I share my travel experiences. Remember the two Camino de Santiago pilgrimages, one in 2019 and the other 2022? In 2023 we explored Costa Rica. We’re planning a music trip to Cuba in four months. Today, I describe our trip to Cloudland Canyon State Park in northwest Georgia.
After a zip-lining accident in 2012, when she was 24, Aimee Copeland was hospitalized and diagnosed with a flesh-eating, bacterial infection. They had to amputate both of her hands, right foot, and entire left leg. Before the infection, she was extremely active, rock climbing, backpacking, and trail running. In response to her frustration with wheelchair life, she created the Aimee Copeland Foundation, which raises funds to create opportunities for connecting with the self, the community, and the earth through the provision of a fleet of all-terrain wheelchairs for free use by people with disabilities within select Georgia state parks. In this podcast episode,