Breaking Barriers

April Katz, founder of the AIROW project, is working to help people with disabilities embrace and enjoy the outdoors.

June 8, 2022

Story by Samantha Herlich // Photos by Clay Dinehart

April Katz rushes into the Bellingham YMCA on a Tuesday afternoon, tracking dirt through the lobby. After a quick turnaround from a hike at Fragrance Lake, she’s ready to take on the YMCA rock wall with another one of her clients: Max McKinley. 

Max, a 16-year-old, often climbs at Bellingham’s Vital Climbing gym, but lately he has become more daring in his bouldering adventures. With fun and safety in mind, Katz has decided to take Max top-roping at the YMCA. 

Max has CHARGE syndrome, a condition that not only leads to hearing and vision loss in youth but also impacts many sensory systems. CHARGE syndrome has affected Max’s vision. In addition, he wears a hearing aid to help absorb sound. Max is non-verbal but displays his excitement through his contagious grin and clapping hands. 

Since new places can be stressful, his mom, Amy McKinley, is apprehensive to see how Max will cope with a new climbing wall, but as Max takes to the wall, it’s obvious to see he is in his element. He can’t stop smiling; all he wants to do is reach new heights. 

Research shows youth with special needs face barriers to accessing the outdoors and outdoor recreation. By helping people with disabilities explore and enjoy the outdoors, Katz is creating a more inclusive community. She’s also working to provide more adaptive gear to break down barriers through The Adaptive and Inclusive Recreation of Whatcom County (AIROW) project. 

“We all benefit from enjoying Mother Earth more, but some of us need more support to explore,” Amy McKinley said.

Adaptive gear has made it possible for some people with disabilities to be more independent when enjoying the outdoors, but it often ends up being expensive and difficult to find. 

Melvin Birge owns RecumbentPDX, a bike store located in Portland, Oregon, that specializes in adaptive bikes. One type of adaptive bike is a recumbent three-wheel trike with a  seat that is lower to the ground and a more supportive back. Another style is a handcycle, which is designed for people who have disabilities that prevent them from using foot pedals. They often are the same shape as a tricycle, and the rider reaches down toward their feet to cycle. 

Birge said the rate at which the bikes are produced is a big reason for the difference in accessibility and price between regular and adaptive bikes.

“The biggest bike factory produces 5,000 bikes a day,” Birge said. “Where we buy from doesn’t produce 5,000 trikes in a year.”

While it’s easy to find a kid’s standup bike for around $200, Birge’s most popular adaptive bike model sells at $2,825.

Katz hopes to eventually provide free adaptive gear to anyone who wants it. Currently, she’s working to secure grants and spread awareness in the community.

Katz started working as an applied behavioral analysis therapist 10 years ago in San Diego. When she moved to Bellingham in 2017 and saw the lack of adaptive gear, AIROW was born.

AIROW participants with disabilities have the opportunity to do recreational activities - like rock climbing - with trained instructors like Katz. 

Betsy Hicks is the mother of another one of Katz’s clients, Joey, who is 28 and has autism as well as Lyme disease, which can cause him to become easily fatigued. Joey doesn’t speak, but the grin that materializes when he is active in the outdoors assures Hicks he’s having a good time.

Hicks said a major struggle with autism is people don’t notice anything is physically different, so they make assumptions when Joey doesn’t display common courtesy like getting out of the way of oncoming bikers. 

“When you are riding your bike you expect people to move over,” Hicks said. “Joey doesn’t do those things.”

 Now when riding, Joey wears an orange vest that says “Autistic, be kind.” Hicks said she has noticed a huge shift in the way the public responds to Joey when he wears the vest. Riders on the trails will now recognize Joey as he bikes around in his orange vest observing the scenery. Because of the vest, Joey now gets the patience and compassion he deserves. 

Hicks has been told she is labeling Joey, but she said she doesn’t necessarily think that’s a bad thing.

“Autistic is not a bad word; it means ‘I think differently; I process differently,’” Hicks said.

Katz or one of her staff takes Joey out every week to go cycling, and it’s the highlight of his week. Along with the physical benefits of the outdoors, natural spaces offer a place for restorative experiences and environmental learning.

“When you’re cycling, your arms, your legs, everything is engaged,” Hicks said. “My son is the happiest he could ever be when he’s on a bicycle because he’s not trying to figure the world out.”

Kaden Taylor, 17, is another one of Katz’s regular clients. His mother Suzanne said she’s extremely grateful to Katz for making recreation in the outdoors fun for Kaden instead of something that is forced upon him. 

He has intellectual developmental disabilities and difficulty with balance and coordination. Taylor noticed a decrease in Kaden’s frustration once Katz came along and helped make outdoor recreation something he looks forward to.

Through AIROW, Kaden received a three-wheel recumbent trike. Taylor saw an improvement in Kaden’s coordination and confidence from working consistently with Katz. 

“It was just one of those moments as a parent where your heart is happy,” Taylor said.

Back at the YMCA, after a few tries on the climbing wall, Max’s grin starts to fade and his climbing dwindles to sporadic reaches. As Max is lowered to the ground once again, his enthusiastic clapping diminishes to frustrated hand gestures. Although Max may be getting ready to admit defeat, Katz knows he still has it in him to reach his goal. Katz’s determination is contagious, and soon workers at the wall want to help Max out as well.

Though Max attempts to push the help away, Katz convinces him to give the climb another try. This time she will be on the wall with him.

Katz straps into her harness, ensuring her fuzzy animal chalk bag is clipped on tight while Max stares longingly up at the wall, waiting for his turn to climb. She takes to the wall first and beckons Max to follow her. As he gets higher, more and more heads turn to watch; then the cheering starts, becoming louder the higher he gets. Max climbs up after Katz, and together they reach the top.

“Nothing is better for a parent than to see a child feel peace and content and joy, and that’s how he has been feeling after his time with April,” McKinley said.

Samantha Herlich is a first-year environmental studies student using journalism to raise awareness about the inequalities found in the outdoors.