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“Why shouldn’t a wheelchair be on top of a mountain?”
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SINCE DISABILITY SNOWSPORT UK FOUNDER DAVID MORRIS ASKED THIS SIMPLE QUESTION 48 YEARS AGO, THE CHARITY HAS BEEN MAKING THAT – AND MORE – POSSIBLE EVER SINCE…
With Disability Snowport UK (DSUK) schools in snow domes and dry slopes across the UK, as well as in the Scottish mountains in the winter, it’s very easy to take the first step into adaptive skiing or snowboarding. Especially as the charity’s aim is for snowsports to be ‘open to all’,
To provide adaptive snowsports, DSUK teachers adjust the way they teach, or the equipment used, so that everyone is welcome on the snow.
From offering learning on a sit ski to providing a specialist approach, to teaching for someone with autism, a learning disability or sensory impairment, the charity tailors every lesson to the client’s unique needs.
Virginia Anderson, the CEO of DSUK, says: “We really can welcome every type of person to snowsports.
“We have skiers who have a lifelong condition and have always been adaptive skiers right through to people who have had a life-changing illness or injury.
“Adaptive snowsport means that they can return to the sport but learn to take part using different equipment or techniques to give them back the freedom of the mountains.”
The first step is to book a lesson. The bookings team talk to every new client to ensure DSUK pairs the best instructor with them, putting the right support in place from the start.
Every first lesson lasts longer to ensure there’s enough time to make the new skier or snowboarder feel at ease, find the right equipment for the way their body works, and understand their learning needs.
From there, learners build up skills and confidence from lesson to lesson until they are ready to progress to a local recreational snowsport group.
The charity also supports families and friends to ski and snowboard together, often with a parent or partner learning how to support the adaptive skier so that they can access the mountains or ski slopes independently, too.
Additionally, DSUK’s local groups provide regular skiing and snowboarding sessions. From Edinburgh to Hemel Hempstead, groups are led by specially trained volunteers and this also allows skiers and snowboarders to make new friends. The social aspect of the groups is almost as important as the snowsport.
The next step for many is going on a holiday with family and friends, either through a DSUK group holiday or another accessible ski holiday provider like Consensio.
It is notable that more holiday providers are now offering suitable accommodation and trips for adaptive skiers as they recognise the importance of inclusivity for disabled people.
Consensio operates a range of accessible ski destinations, including three Ultimate Catered Chalets and two Self-Catered Alpine Apartments.
If you would like an accessible, self-catered stay in the high, snow-sure resort of Val d’Isère, then look no further than Consensio’s luxury Apartment Lorenzo. It’s ideally located only a short distance from the shops and main ski lifts, and after a day on the slopes you can ski home straight to your back door!
Apartment Lorenzo can accommodate up to eight guests in its four bedrooms, all of which have en-suite bathrooms.
Inside, the layout is both comfortable and practical, and has been designed to maximise the natural light in the living areas, creating a lovely welcoming feel.
As with all Consensio apartments, you also benefit from a world-class concierge service before and during your stay.
Along with a welcome basket complete with Perrier-Jouët Champagne and a daily cleaning service, this isn’t your standard self-catering holiday!
Consensio can provide boulangerie breakfast deliveries and pre-arrival shopping to make your stay as stress-free as possible. It can additionally arrange ski hire, adaptive snowsports guides,
lift passes, transfers, nannies, restaurant reservations, resort activities, and much more.
Elaine Boyd, a Glasgow skier and accountant who has cerebral palsy, has been on this whole journey. She openly admits: “Learning to ski was way out of my comfort zone and was something that really scared me.
“But from the beginning, DSUK provided me with the opportunity to overcome that fear and take part in something I really enjoy. The instructors put me at ease and encouraged me to progress and enjoy skiing. I expected to be on a sit ski, and sometimes I have to pinch myself when I realise I am standing and skiing!
“I use a link to connect the skis and have tethers that allow my instructor to control my speed.
“I have also gained more confidence generally, and I’m sure that’s down to learning to ski. My instructor has taught me that it’s OK to fall, you just need to stand up afterwards.
“For the first time ever, we have been able to participate in a sport together as a family. It was the most incredible experience going down the slopes. The distance covered and the feeling of speed with the sun shining on us was amazing.
“My skiing and independence improved over the week, and by the end my daughter Jenna was able to take over on the tethers and control me during the trip – I’m sure she enjoyed taking control of her Mum!
“I have been blown away by the impact of learning to ski.”
Consensio strongly believes that the mountains should be accessible to everyone; as such it has partnered with DSUK to better support its work. For every week of the winter season, Consensio has donated a private accessible snowsports lesson for a child with a disability.
Discover more about Consensio’s accessible ski holidays at: www.consensiochalets.co.uk And find out more about booking an adaptive lesson or holiday with DSUK (Disability Snowsport UK) at: www.disabilitysnowsport.org.uk hello@disabilitysnowsport.org.uk +44 (0) 1479 788 770
9 REECE MEWS, SOUTH KENSINGTON, LONDON, SW7 3HE +44 (0) 203 393 0833 – SALES@CONSENSIOCHALETS.CO.UK WWW.CONSENSIOCHALETS.CO.UK
