Steamboat Blogs

Las Vegas, still accessible after all these years

Posted on14. May, 2010 by Andy.

You'd think more towns would want to be like Las Vegas. For decades Vegas has cornered the market on accessible travel because they know better. Design for everyone, and everyone will come, with their money. Why any tourism center would exclude any particular niche simply by not catering to their needs is beyond us, and beyond Vegas as well.

The City of Sin doesn't brag about its access openly, and in truth, some of its city recreation funding has recently been cut, so where golfing used to be a widely accessible option for recreation in town, this is unfortunately no longer the case. We spent weeks trying to figure out why their many accessible golf carts could only be used at municipal courses, and apparently the budget also affected customer relations on the subject. Long story short, we brought clubs for nothing.

But there are plenty of other accessible features of Las Vegas to highlight, and as always, we should start with the strip, which is constantly rejuvenated and therefore always expanding on its access thanks to the ADA.

The Wynn chain of hotels offers the Surehands lifts systems in several of the rooms at each hotel (Bellagio, Encore, MGM, Mirage, Treasure Island, and Wynn), making independence a reality. But if you don't need the lift system, all of the hotels in Veags, even the older ones, are accessible and most have some great accessibility features like roll-in showers.

We stayed at the Cancun Resort about 2 miles south of the strip for some peace and pool lounging, and were pleased to find a roll-in shower with a folding bench, ramps to all areas, accessible hot tubs, bars, and even an elevator to the top floor of waterslide, housed in an Aztec ruin at the pool.

In addition to finding accessible lodging bountiful, Vegas touts that every restaurant is accessible, and we found the shows, sites, transportation and side trips to be as well.

We squeezed in a show at KA, a unique Cirque du Soleil show at the MGM, one of the more memorable and unique venues we've seen, grand enough to make its way into a Top 5 Accessible Venues article to come in the near future. The best feature at this venue are the plush office-chair seat on wheels in the center-of-the-house ADA section, that slide out for easy transfer or to make room for your own chair, which just adds to the magic of this amazingly acrobatic show on the spinning, tilting, smoking stage.

We explored several other theaters at the main casino resorts along the strip, and where there were stairs, there was always an elevator, and in some cases, even an escalator.

At the the top of the Paris's Eiffel Tower is an accessible restaurant with amazing views of the city.

If you're into amusement rides, Las Vegas has plenty of them. The Manhattan Express at the New York New York, the five rides at the Adventuredome at the Circus Circus, and the three rides at the Stratosphere Hotel are all accessible, however some of them do have specific requirements such as at the NYNY riders need at least one lower limb to engage the safety bar over the lap, and must be able to sit up on their own to engage the upper shoulder straps. But all of them have elevators, ramps, or level entries to their rides.

If walking the length of the strip, or even part of its ever-expanding length, is a barrier for you, renting scooters is a recommendation as there are many companies in Las Vegas to look to. Scootaround is one of our favorites for their excelling customer service and reliability, but there are nine other companies offering rentals in town as well.

All in all we've found Las Vegas quite welcoming, whether you're there to win some money or just take in the shows, Vegas is still accessible after all these year.

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Surehands Lifts makes the Wynn even better

Posted on10. May, 2010 by Andy.

There aren't many hoteliers that have the progressive and all-inclusive attitude towards visitors with disabilities that Steve Wynn has incorporated into his Las Vegas hotels.

It's been over a decade since Wynn put his first Surehands lift system into several rooms at the Mirage. Not just your typical lift system, the Surehands lifts excel above the competition through encouraging independence with a unique holster design that allows users to access the toilet, shower, and bed on their own without assistance.

Where other lifts systems use a sling to lift the person out of their wheelchair, the Surehands lifts also offers a holster setting, the Surehands Body Support, with padded and shaped metal arms that slide under the arms of the user, and a strap that goes under their legs, leaving their body open from the mid back to the knees, which a sling typically covers, hindering the user from doing any of their bathroom business on their own.


The track system typically runs from the bed into the bathroom, through a sliding door if necessary, raising and lowering with a remote control that hangs around the users' neck for ease of use. The track or multiple tracks are built to access as much of the room as possible.





Since the first lift was installed at the Mirage in 1996, Wynn has installed the Surehands lifts in rooms at all of his hotels, including the initial ones the company owned, the Bellagio, Treasure Island, and the MGM, as well as his new hotels, the Wynn and the Encore.

At the Wynn, where we tested one of these lifts, there are only four rooms out of over 2,000 with lifts in them, and they are requested often, so reserve your room early to place your special request.

Vegas doesn't taut these lifts, nor does Wynn, which is surprising to us, but true; perhaps because they do not want the need to outweigh the supply, as the lifts are already highly requested even without their advertisement. However the high use of these lifts should encourage not only the Wynn line to brag about their access, but should also encourage other hotels to begin to offer the same universal design to bring in this growing market of travelers with disabilities, who spend over $13.6 billion annually on travel in the US alone (as of 2005).

We’d love to see Surehands lifts in your hotel. If interested in catering to this huge niche with this assistive device, or for more information, videos and images, visit the Surehands website at www.surehands.com.

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Quail Creek State Park, UT

Posted on29. Apr, 2010 by Andy.

Spent last night at Quail Creek State Park in southern Utah, a small but gorgeous campground with 100% accessible campsites, #13 is next to the restroom if you want it. Picnic area, fishing pier, and all tent campsites are accessible as well.

We drove out from Steamboat in a windstorm, shaking and swirving the Tacoma for 9 hrs straight, but with mostly empty highway under bright blue skies until we got to Fishlake National Forest, with Monroe, an 11,000 beast with plenty of snow on it still. It rained for about 10 minutes until we drove out of it southward.

We turned south on 15 to Vegas and stopped just north of St. George and the Nevada border in Hurricane.

And it soon became no wonder how this town got it got its name. 45mile an hour gusts burst between a constant 15mile an hour annoyance.

But our friendly neighbor Chuck, a retired Sgt. in full camo, and his family cooked our ready-meal (seasoned raw burger, potatoes and green beans in tin foil) on their beefy coleman for us and when the wind finally slowed for an hour around nine, we built a fire.

We awoke to this view, surrounded by rabbits, quail of course, and a plethora of other birds.

Gotta go eat my lumberjack breakfast, eggs, potatoes, and bacon, cooked to perfection on the fire in a brown paper bag.

Off to Vegas next, to assess the Sure Hands lift at the Wynn!

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Save the Best for Last

Posted on07. Apr, 2010 by Andy.

It's always these "slim" years that we get hammered in April.... the numbers don't lie. We average 350" of snowfall annually, so when I see only 225 by March 2oth, I assume it'll come sometime. Maybe after it's any use to us, but it will come. And it did. And I reveled in it. Thankfully.

Being out for 2 weeks during some of the best powder days of the year was one of the hardest acts of patience I've ever had to perform. I twisted my leg pretty bad on March 22nd, and gave myself two solid weeks to heal and retrain. My patience paid off.

Yesterday it just kept coming down, in those big potato-sized snowflakes, blowing upward, with the wind howling, for at least 24 hours straight. I knew watching that all day that I could do nothing other than assume my leg could take it. I don't breathe skiing like my husband does. I don't think about it all summer, and live by the 5am report in the winter (I know, blasphemy). But I do love my powder, and I'm a snob about it. So when they reported 24" in 24, just like the Pirate Theater play I love, there was no saying "No" to that.

And it was well worth it. Now let's move on to the snow.

On deep days, we ride the Gondola to beat the hounds to Four Points, which opened about 10 minutes late today, making the hounds restless indeed. "It's 8:48" you hear them shout, "Calm down, they're doing their best," another one says... and then the beeps start and the antsy pants dance begins. Those beeps mean "Load 'Em Up!" And those hounds start drooling.

From Four Points we bombed down Sunset to find the creamy goods that were up to our knees in spots- the 24" in 24 is definitely in the trees today (and tomorrow, there's NO one here!), but the groomers had this 6-8" coating on them that was truly like butter. There were trench-sized windlips on the top of High Noon and Sunshine Lift Line, visibility was zero so they took us by surprise for sure. But once you got down to the Clocks the fog lifted, and the tree runs were magnificent. 1230 was the best I've seen it all year. 130 was just as good. Then we went over to Sideburn, and the meadow below Storm Face where Craig found a windlip with his name on it:



And from there we rode Storm up again for another lap of the same, this time down the hero-sized bumps of Storm North/Liftline, and down to Hurricane, where both quotes of the day occured:
"So much happiness!" And, "If there WERE bumps under there, they're burried now!" So true Jennie Lay, so true! Thanks for the smiles today.

It was impossible to not to have a good time this morning, well, unless you had to leave early like I did, but my pain was secondary to the powderiferous glory of the day, and in that, I feel blessed to say, we were truly In The Deep of it today, folks. Glorious.



4 more days, and some end of the season fun to come... then it's back to the waiting game, yet again.

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STARS Youth Ski and Ride Camp a Huge Success!

Posted on30. Mar, 2010 by Andy.

The third weekend in March is always a fun one for adaptive sports, as 20-25 kids of all ages and their families descend upon Steamboat Ski Area to rip up the slopes. And rip they did.

The campers come from all over the country, as far as Pennsylvania and as close as Steamboat, the group totalled about 75 participants, coaches and volunteers. Coaching and support came from Steamboat partners Adaptive Adventures and STARS, teaching sitting and standing skiing techniques both on the slopes and in the racecourse.

Steamboat's support comes in by the truckload, with lodging, lunches, dinners, prizes, and goodies for all the kids, families and coaches.

This is STARS' second annual Youth Ski and Ride Camp, fitting into a lineup this year that will triple Steamboat's existing camp series to about nine camps in all seasons. Existing camps included adult and youth skiing in the winter, and all ages waterskiing in July. New camps will include a fly fishing camp set for June 25-27, road and mountain cycling, rock climbing, rafting, and hunting.

For images, view our new online gallery at www.accessanythingphotos.net.

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Spring Powder

Posted on27. Mar, 2010 by Andy.

(Saturday March 27th, posted by Craig Kennedy)

It’s the end of March and there are no brown spots on the mountain. And despite what the report said this morning the mountain was in beautiful mid winter shape. The five inches that fell two nights ago and into yesterday morning with the 6 on the report this morning (and it snowed all morning too) made for over a foot of fresh (and more in spots) and barely a notice of the treacherous conditions lurking beneath.

After a buttery run down Rudy’s we loaded Four Points in the 15th position and headed directly for my favorite warm up run consisting of Sunset (right side of course) to Moonlight Trees. Riding with my BFF Keith we had to head next to Keith’s Ridge. Then we skied the top of Sunshine Lift line and cut back out towards one o’clock and onto Billy Kid Trees (it’s a secret, can’t tell you). After that we headed to my new favorite tree shot off of Sundial and finished with an untracked run down RamRod. So besides all the face shots (I am nice and low to the ground) the mountain was also empty.

Devoid of locals and tourists alike so tomorrow should be SWEEEEEEET! While the skiing was great, it had been a while since skiing a powder day and I felt a little off my game the first couple of runs. Then my armpit zipper on my jacket blew out so it was a cold morning but it was all worth it. There’s nothing better than end of the season powder days after you’ve already convinced yourself there won’t be any more. And hopefully we get one more for my lovely, but slightly injured wife.

See you In The Deep!

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Changes to Airline Security on the way… not just for PWD

Posted on15. Mar, 2010 by Andy.

One good part about being on the Continental Airlines Customers with Disabilities Advisory Board is that we get some advance warning from other companies outside of Continental such as the work mentioned in my previous post about POCs and Advanced Aeromedical.

This meeting we got a significant update on the upcoming changes to TSA Security Check Points at all US airports, rolling out later this year. Because of the recent switch in security from metallic threats to plastic ones, TSA and related security agencies are working on two advanced imaging technology that will begin to phase out the current walk-through metal detectors. These changes began as early as 2007, but due to the fact that the imaging created was quite graphic, changes had to be made to make sure privacy was ensured. These changes are finally going to be visible in the travel experience this year.

TSA uses two types of imaging technology, millimeter wave (radio frequency) and backscatter. Currently, there are 43 imaging technology units in use at 20 airports. There are 40 millimeter wave units in use at 19 airports and three backscatter units in use at one airport.

This month, March 2010, TSA began deploying 150 backscatter imaging technology units, which were purchased with American Recovery and Reinvestment Art (ARRA) funds. TSA plans to deploy a total of approximately 450 imaging technology units in 2010.

While this seems like an "electronic strip search," there are a lot of privacy mechanisms in place, TSA ensures. The images are viewed by someone in a completely different area so they do not know which person they are scanning, the imaging blurs the face and body parts of the passenger, images are deleted immediately after approval so they can not be stored, printed, saved, or sent, and no cameras or cell phones are allowed in the scanning areas.

The radio frequencies and backscatter technologies are also very safe medically; the radio frequency is 1000 times less than a cell phone, and the backscatter imaging is similarly less than an xray, even though the scanner will shoot about 10-12 images per passenger for various angles to check for plastic explosive devices.

While this new technology is great for people with metal implants that previously set off the older metal detectors, it will slow down security for people with service animals, wheelchairs and external medical devices as they will all now have to be screened. But this will also change. Where previously individuals in wheelchairs were scanned with the "wand and felt" technique, the agent will hold a small unit the size of a briefcase and will be checking people's hands at random, also for plastic.

Additionally TSA will be working more on training for handling passengers with traumatic brain injury, autism, diabetis, and other hidden disabilities and how these new technologies may affect this group.

For a complete report on this TSA technology visit http://www.tsa.gov/approach/tech/imaging_technology.shtm

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2010 Vancouver Paralympics March 12-21

Posted on12. Mar, 2010 by Andy.

As standard, about three weeks following the regular Olympic Games, the Paralympics fall between March 12th and 21st in Vancouver this year. The overall schedule of these games can be found here. Contact your local provider for viewing information or use Paralympic.TV for viewing on your computer!

Athletes with disabilities began competing in the Olympic Games as early as 1952, and were more officially organized by 1960 in Rome. The first official Paralympic Games, held during a separate date period, was at the 1976 Winter Games in Sweden. The Games have grown significantly in those 30 years, starting with just 400 athletes from 23 countries to nearly 4,000 athletes from 146 countries at the 2008 Beijing Games.

Winter Paralympic sports include Alpine and Cross Country Skiing, Biathlon, Curling, and Sledge Hockey. Skiing classifications include sit- and standing-skiers as well as visually impaired skiers in three vision categories. Male and female athletes compete in the same competitions as the able-bodied Olympians do: Downhill, Super G, Giant Slolem, and Super Combined. Although the Vancouver Games are the first to see the Skier Cross event adopted from the XGames, the adaptive version MonoCross event has not yet been added yet, but we hope to see it in Sochi! Click here for a full schedule of the upcoming games.

In 2006, the Russian Paralympic Team went away from Torino's games with 33 Olympic medals, and the US Team was 6th behind Ukraine, Germany, France, Austria and Canada, in that order. Don't forget to support these athletes who work hard to train, prepare, and overcome obstacles of pain, disability, equipment and other challenges associated with travel and attending this global event.

As always, Vancouver has done a magnificent job at making the area hospitably accessible, including focus on transportation and shuttles, spectator viewing areas, and assistive hearing devices to name a few.

Learn more about the US TEAM here!

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