Donna Vickroy: Quadriplegic helps forest preserves become more accessible

Chicago Tribune

4 days ago

The call of the wild is universal.
Shouldn't the ability to heed it be universal too?
Chicago-area forest preserves are opening doors for nature-loving members of the disability community. They've introduced all-terrain wheelchairs as well as other kinds of adaptive equipment and communication technology. Recently, Four Rivers Environmental Education Center in Channahon, part of the Forest Preserve District of Will County, became the first in the nation to receive National Inclusion Project accreditation.
The news is all good for Brian Swift, whose teenage injury hasn't dampened his love for adventure. Even though he has spent more than 40 years in a wheelchair, Swift describes himself as an 'outdoor guy.'
The new wheelchairs, he said, 'give you the ability to do things you couldn't do before. You can go farther with your kids. They allow you to get off the beaten path, to negotiate a hill or the grass or gravel or dirt paths.'
And that, Swift said, 'just offers a different kind of freedom and opportunity and hope. It's just such an awesome thing.'
Last month, Cook County Forest Preserves stationed all-terrain wheelchairs at all six of its nature centers, as well as at camps Sullivan, Reinberg and Bullfrog Lake campgrounds. In all, there are 13 chairs available at different sites on a first-come, first-served basis.
The manual chairs are equipped with arm-powered levers for propulsion and braking, mountain bike tires and a third wheel for enhanced stability, enabling them to improve traction on all types of surfaces, said Jacqui Ulrich, director of conservation and experiential programming.
'We have these great trails at the nature centers,' she said, but not all are ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) accessible.
'We thought (the ATV chairs) would be a good way to get more people out,' she said.
Statistics show about 26% of U.S. adults report having a disability, Ulrich said. Mobility is the most common, followed by cognitive, hearing and then vision, she added.
'As the population ages, we all might have an issue someday where we can use some support and better tools,' she said.
The Forest Preserve District of DuPage County offers for loan two lightweight, all-terrain wheelchairs, each designed to traverse dirt, gravel, grass, snow and mud, spokeswoman Beth Schirott said.
Last spring, the Forest Preserve District of Will County introduced the GRIT Freedom Chair-Spartan Model at Four Rivers to help people with spinal cord injuries, multiple sclerosis, joint conditions, amputations, cerebral palsy and other mobility issues better explore the surrounding McKinley Woods-Kerry Sheridan Grove.
Jerome Gabriel, facility supervisor at Four Rivers, said the GRIT chair has serviced many populations, including therapeutic day schools, therapeutic adult programs, and injured high schoolers who otherwise might not be able to participate in a field trip program.
Will County also offers other accessible features, including an accessible kayak launch at Lake Chaminwood Preserve in Minooka and communication boards at the environmental center.
'We want everyone to be able to experience everything together, regardless of ability level,' Gabriel said.
Swift, of Mokena, has consulted with Four Rivers on some of its adaptive equipment.
He is founder of the nonprofit Swift Outdoor Accessible Recreation, which helps people with disabilities get the gear they need to get back out there. SOAR, www.soarnonprofit.com, provides grants to help people get devices such as hand cycles, therapeutic trikes and wheelchair attachments, he said.
Sometimes a fisherman needs an adaptive reel, Swift said. Sometimes, the request is for an accessible kayak or hand cycle or driving modification. Sometimes, it's something as simple as a means to steady a camera so a would-be photographer can snap pictures of birds and wildflowers, he said.
'I've been blessed to do a lot of things with family and friends,' Swift said. 'I know there are others who want to do things too. One of the biggest obstacles is getting the necessary equipment. Another is getting the word out that these devices are available.'
Insurance only pays for 'medical necessities,' he said.
'It doesn't pay for the gear that allows us to do things like go riding with our kids.'
Being able to enjoy the outdoors, he said, helps people get exercise, feel included and have worthwhile hobbies.
'It is critical to our health,' he said. 'Study after study show being outside increases vitamin D and serotonin, and helps lower anxiety and depression.'
Swift was 17, a senior in high school, when he headed outside the day after Christmas to play football with friends.
'I was tackled from behind, nothing weird,' he said. But the hit left him with a broken C-6 vertebrae and the injury left him a quadriplegic.
'Life changed,' he said. But his quest to live it to the fullest did not.
After recovering for a few months at what is now the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago, Swift finished high school, went on to Moraine Valley Community College in Palos Hills and then St. Xavier University in Chicago.
'One day, a nun asked me, 'What are you going to do after graduation?'' he recalled.
He told her he didn't know. She suggested law school.
'Back then, you did what Sister said. She gave me the books and the dates for the entrance exam. It was just the way it was,' he said.
He earned a law degree from DePaul University, then pivoted and took a job in sales and 'did very well.'
He and his wife, Monica, met while he was a student and have been married for 36 years. They have three adopted kids.
After 20 years in the corporate world, he got the itch to try something new. He wrote a book, became a certified coach and speaker, and started SOAR.
Today, he is an author of nine books, two of which are best-sellers on Amazon.
'I feel blessed. I am a believer in karma — the more you give, the more you get. I am very much about servant leadership,' he said.
'A lot of adults and kids break their neck,' he said, but that doesn't mean your life is over.
'Life's not easy for anybody. You may think someone has a great life but everybody's dealing with something,' he said.
The important thing is to remember that, 'It's not about having a perfect life. It's about enjoying life perfectly — as much as you can.'