Rochester Accessible Adventures (RAA) received a $10,000 donation from a Rochester-area disability advocate in support of their mission to increase access to recreation, sports, and tourism. Susan Fox Shepard donated $10,000, honoring both her personal journey and that of her father, the late Tom Fox, recognizing the need for communities to provide equitable access for people with disabilities. RAA is a Rochester-based non-profit organization that works with recreation businesses across the Greater Rochester, Finger Lakes, and Western New York region, providing training and guidance to enable those businesses to operate inclusively whenever their doors are open.
“After I experienced a life-changing accident that resulted in permanent paralysis when I was 15, my father, Tom Fox, never stopped working on making my world work for me,” says Susan Fox Shepard. “From installing a ramp to our house so I could come home from the hospital, to installing hand controls in his vehicle so I could learn to drive, my father was certain there was much life to live and he did all he could to change the world around me so that I couId participate. And now I can continue his legacy by supporting the critical work Rochester Accessible Adventures does so that recreation, sports, and tourism are accessible to and inclusive of people with and without disabilities.”
“Inclusion in recreation has the power to heal someone’s self-image,” continues Susan, who is a founding Board Member of RAA. “After my accident, it took time to rebuild my self-image and confidence. Being able to join others in recreational activities was a huge part of my healing process. I didn’t have to sit on the sidelines watching everyone else embrace life while I felt like a bump on a log. It is so important that places know how to provide inclusive recreation and sports and RAA was founded specifically to make that a reality – empowering community recreation businesses to create a culture of inclusion of people of all ages and abilities so we can enjoy all its health benefits with family and friends.”
For information about Rochester Accessible Adventures, visit www.rochesteraccessibleadventures.org.
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