When Jon Lanteigne, 61, abandons his wheelchair on the sandy shore of Highland Lake at the D.A.R. State Forest in Goshen to go kayaking, pure bliss is all you can see on his face.
Lanteigne is non-verbal. He lives in a group home for adults with disabilities in Amherst and goes kayaking about five times every year. When he is hoisted from his wheelchair into the kayak and pushed off the shore into the water, he smiles broadly as he glides and bobs across the water.
He is one of hundreds of people taking advantage of the activities offered by the state Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Universal Access Program, which aims to make outdoor recreation in Massachusetts state parks accessible to all residents regardless of ability.
“It provides a new way to exercise and it also reduces social isolation. It gets people out and active with things that many people wouldn’t be able to do on their own,” said Karen Foster, executive director of All Out Adventures, a nonprofit in Northampton collaborating with the state on accessible programming. “It’s a fascinating thing that is happening in state parks.”
The program caters to people of all ages and offers everything from cycling trips on the Norwottuck Rail Trail, which runs from Northampton to Amherst, to canoeing at Hampton Ponds State Park in Westfield. Family and friends can accompany their loved ones.
At any given event, there could be survivors of brain injuries or strokes, children with autism or veterans with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder taking part, Foster said.
“You see the smiles and the joy and the ‘I never thought I could do this and it’s amazing,” she said. “A lot of times people who come out are really skeptical and then they see that it is possible and they are all smiles.”
Before the kayaking excursion, padding is fitted around the edges of the boat so Lanteigne won’t bump his legs getting in and out. The staff members are careful to cover any sharp surfaces to keep the participants from getting pressure sores that could lead to infection, Foster said.
An upright seat is inside the kayak to keep Lanteigne stabilized.
A handful of Universal Access Program staff members, all trained lifeguards, are on site to help with everything from applying sunscreen to strapping life vests on.
Caregiver Brian Farmer of Chicopee is sitting in the back of the tandem kayak, serving as the motor, while also steering the boat.
Lanteigne sits back, perfectly still. He doesn’t have an oar of his own, but Farmer, 36, doesn’t mind doing all the work. He has been a caregiver since graduating from high school and he has been at Lanteigne’s side for four years, assisting him with all aspects of daily life, helping with chores, taking him to the mall. Kayaking is something they both look forward to, he said.
As the boat drifts away from the shore, Lanteigne looks like he is meditating as he tilts his head toward the sun, the light reflecting off his sunglasses. His arms are at ease by his sides, as his fingers skim the surface of the water.
While Lanteigne isn’t able to communicate verbally, he can gesture with his hands and express emotion in his eyes. This type of communication Farmer has grown to understand over the years and can easily detect the joy that Lanteigne took away from his 45 minutes on the lake.
“He loved it, he thought it was the greatest thing,” Farmer said after pulling ashore. “There were a little more waves than usual, but it was great.”
This is the first kayaking excursion of the season, but they hope to return a couple more times before the cold weather sets in.
Every Wednesday afternoon during the summer, the Universal Access Program and All Out Adventures host these kayaking trips at the D.A.R where typically up to 40 people come throughout the day to participate, said Foster.
Farmer said he was nervous at first to go kayaking with Lanteigne, but so far they have not capsized, only gotten a few drips of water in the boat from the paddle splashing.
Before coming to the Universal Access Program, Lanteigne had never been in a kayak, but had always watched the River Rat Race, an annual canoe race in his hometown, Athol.
Farmer noticed his interest in the water. “I was like, ‘Hey, Jon, you want to try kayaking sometime?’ and he loved it,” he said. “You’ll see when we get out on the water these big smiles.” Since then, they have been coming on and off for four years.
There are outdoor activities like this happening during the summer on almost every day of the week. Some days Lanteigne is able to go cycling on the bike trail in Hadley, using a duet bike, which is a tandem bicycle with what looks like a wheelchair in the front and bike pedals in the back.
Dozens of people participate in the adaptive bicycling program each week and there are always staff members on hand to help.
“These folks here, they are just so kind and compassionate. They just help you. The biking is the best thing for me,” said Angela Boyle, 57, of Holyoke, a former nurse practitioner who suffered a brain injury and has been taking advantage of the adaptive cycling for two years.
“It’s really unbelievable, the care and the love. You can really see that it is heartfelt,” she said. “They recognize peoples’ abilities and not their disabilities.”
After her injury in 2013 when she slammed her head on a rock while swimming, Boyle suffered from dizzy spells and headaches and no longer had the balance to use a regular bike. But, through the program, she discovered she was able to ride a recumbent bike.
The ability to get out and cycle has changed her life, she said. “Sometimes, I go home and I cry, tears of happiness. The people are so thoughtful and kind.”
Along with her husband and caregiver, Daniel Boyle, she bikes every week for a few hours. Sometimes they also go kayaking in Goshen.
“There is nothing better that could have happened to me. I’m getting my strength back, my independence,” Boyle said.
To pre-register for Wednesday kayaking at D.A.R. State Forest in Goshen or for Friday adaptive biking on the Norwottuck Rail Trail in Hadley, contact All Out Adventures at 584-2052. The adaptive biking is $3 per person. Most kayaking programs are $5 per person.
For more information about the outdoor activities offered by the All Out Adventures and the Department of Conservation and Recreation’s Universal Access Program, visit: www.mass. gov/eea/agencies/dcr/massparks/accessibility/accessible-events.html or: www.alloutadventures.org/