National Ability Center Lets Your Child with Special Needs Learn to Ski and More

Posted in Ski School
by Mary on August 4, 2010

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Do your children or others you know have special needs?

Sure, all of our children have “special needs”, mine sure do. My youngest needs more attention, my middle needs more money, and my oldest, well, she just needs to be in charge!

I am talking real special needs, have you ever heard of the National Ability Center? It is a fantastic facility, a year round non-profit organization here in Park City that I can’t say enough about. When I moved here and started back to work in the winter of 1997, I became a fan for life.

It is the philosophy of the National Ability Center to provide a range of sports and outdoor activities for individuals and families that share physical or developmental disabilities. They strive to provide for the inaccessible and unavailable, to encourage and provide physical activities for all, and they do it like no one else.

Opportunities are there for individuals to share their common interest with their non-disabled friends and families, in 22 different sports. Downhill skiing, bicycling, swimming, water skiing, rafting, hiking, rock climbing, just to name a few.

The Equestrian program is my favorite and their largest. I was an instructor there for many years in the summer months. I have personally seen what a difference a horse can make in a participants' life, from a young child with Down Snydrome to a visually impaired adult.  Have you heard the quote, “There is something about the outside of a horse that does something for the inside of a person?” Maybe I made that up.

I see the snow skiing program work miracles here almost every day that I am out on our slopes at Park City Mountain Resort. Having an instructor who specializes in the skills/equipment specific to one of your children’s special needs is such a unique opportunity. Children can start out learning one on one, and sometimes, safety considerations and equipment needs considered, they are ready to move onto skiing with friends and family, or another type of group lesson. Successful starts and smiles are a few of my favorite “S” words.

So check it out, online at discovernac.org or come visit the National Ability Center here in Park City. From learning a new activity to Olympic athletes, I can’t think of a better place to donate your time or money, it may change your perspective on life in a very positive way.