Business Profiles
The Accessible Wilderness Society (www.awsociety.org)
Dan Bauer has never let his paraplegia stop him from pursuing his dreams. But it was hearing a quadriplegic giving up on part of his life that has led Dan to his most exciting business venture: The Accessible Wilderness Society.
“When I was in rehab after my accident twenty-five years ago,” he says, “I overheard a man on the ward talking to his family. He said ‘sell the boat, get rid of the camping gear, that part of my life is over!’ At first I was sad. Then I got mad that he had to give up those activities that he loved. Right then I started thinking about how to create a fully accessible outdoor resort.”
Dan accumulated many skills in the intervening years, running two successful businesses which he started up with the help of the Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Program (EDP). But when he and his wife Judy relocated to Vancouver Island in 2007, he knew that he had finally found the place for his resort. “I had talked about it a lot over the years,” he says. “But when we got here, Judy said ‘it’s time for you to stop talking and start doing.’”
In May 2009, using seed money provided by the EDP, Dan incorporated the Accessible Wilderness Society (AWS), a non-profit organization dedicated to gathering support and funding for the creation of a fully accessible campground and resort facility. The facility will be built using the concept of “universal design,” meaning that it will be accessible to individuals any kind of mobility impairment, including everyone from people in wheelchairs to seniors using canes.
The concept for the resort has hit a chord with a wide variety of funders. Dan has obtained support from the provincial government and an endorsement from the Sam Sullivan Disability Foundation, among others. “We’re excited,” exclaims Dan. “It’s a very viable business. And the great thing is that many people see this as a prototype that could eventually be used for other accessible resorts around the province.”
While continuing to work on the resort project, AWS is also producing travel guides for mobility-impaired travellers to Vancouver Island. “Parks put that little wheelchair sign on their maps, but sometimes it just means that there’s disabled parking,” Dan laughs ruefully. “We give an accurate description of a place’s accessibility, so that visitors can avoid disappointment and aim for a truly barrier-free experience.”
Reflecting on his society’s achievements so far, Dan is clearly very pleased with where his vision is taking him. But for him and Judy, the business aspect of the plan is secondary. “This is really about following a dream,” says Dan. “It’s not about the money. We really look at this as a social enterprise. As Judy always says, it’s not about the thousands of dollars, it’s about the thousands of smiles.”
