|
Montana Access To Outdoor Recreation (MATOR) Increasing wildlife-associated recreational opportunities for all Montanans. When you take that first frosty breath of autumn mountain air as an imperial squeal declares superiority or you watch a perfectly casted fly kiss the morning surface of a deep stream pool, how often have you mentally declared you would not trade positions with the world's richest man? The truth is, those moments and experiences make us rich indeed! Montana's natural landscape combined with its heritage of outdoor recreation presents rare opportunities for us all to step into a page of the past and unite with our purest surroundings. It's not simply the kill or the catch that draws us back but rather the journey and experience to achieve it. To most people the experience alone is the catch, and the introspection and awe inspired by witnessing a pristine sunrise or sunset reminds us essentially why we are sportsmen and sportswomen. For individuals who experience functional limitations due to disability or aging, however, opportunities to pursue wildlife-associated recreational activities occur far too infrequentl  y.The Montana Access To Outdoor Recreation (MATOR) program strives to increase opportunities for individuals with disabilities and those who are aging to recreate outdoors when, where, and with whom they choose. MATOR is a program of MonTECH at the University of Montana Rural Institute intended to increase fishing, hunting, wildlife viewing, and related activities. The program’s free recreational equipment loan program, education and awareness campaign, demonstration activities, and volunteer network provide knowledge and resources to enable participation in outdoor experiences like the ones you relish so much. MATOR’s free services are also excellent resources for members of the Montana Outfitters & Guides Association (MOGA) and could enable outfitters and guides to expand their clientele base. When someone with a disability or limitations through aging desires to utilize a MOGA guide or outfitter’s services to access Montana’s outdoor environment, MATOR just might have the information or equipment necessary to accommodate their needs. Outfitters, guides or someone they know personally, or maybe a regular client who has aged over the years and experienced physical changes, could benefit by borrowing equipment or attending a MATOR awareness or demonstration activity. The educ  ation and awareness campaign of MATOR is intended to provide information about using adaptive equipment or practices to make wildlife-associated recreational activities possible for all. By giving presentations, disseminating materials, maintaining an informational website, and providing information and links on partners’ websites, MATOR hopes to reach many Montanans. MATOR staff members are also available weekday business hours by telephone, e-mail, or in person to provide information about adaptive equipment, recreating in alternative ways, and programs and policies that increase access. Equipment available through MATOR’s free equipment loan program includes a wide variety of adaptations, including shooting mounts that can attach to wheelchairs and be aimed even by someone without arm or hand function by moving a chin-controlled joystick. There are also trigger mechanisms that can be operated with limited arm function or even by sucking in a straw by someone without arm function. A variety of available fishing rods and reels can accommodate many disabilities, including reeling or casting automatically with various adaptive switches. Several other options, including a rugged outdoor wheelchair designed and manufactured by a Montana sportsman, provide mobility in off-road environments for those with limited personal mobility. Various trekking poles, shooting sticks, accessible ground blinds, and optics are also available. An adapted raft frame with inflatable cataraft tubes can be borrowed to enable a user of a mobility device to easily access lakes, rivers and streams. More equipment will be added through 2011, so suggestions for specific equipment are welcome and will be considered.  Demonstration activities coordinated by MATOR provide opportunities for anyone interested to learn about, see, and try using adaptive equipment that is available. The demonstration activities are scheduled throughout Western Montana and will continue through 2011. Any individuals with disabilities or who are aging, their friends and family members, recreational professionals, outfitters and guides, or anyone else interested is encouraged to check the schedule on the MATOR website and plan to attend an event. Attendees often see or learn about something new that could assist someone they know. The MATOR program is committed to promoting participation in integrated recreational activities, meaning that individuals with disabilities often prefer to and benefit from recreating with their non-disabled friends and family members. Realizing, however, that some individuals with disabilities or who are aging may not know anything about wildlife-associated recreation nor know others to help them, MATOR offers a volunteer network. Sometimes individuals may need guidance to learn about this type of recreation and sometimes they may simply need physical or transportation assistance. MATOR strives to inform people of these potential needs and recruit some who are willing to volunteer to help when an individual consumer makes that request.  MATOR’s free services are intended to promote the many benefits of participation in recreational activities. Research supports the view that participation in recreational activities results in such personal benefits as increased self-efficacy, independence and mobility as well as improved self-confidence and personal growth through empowerment. More societal benefits include increased socialization, education, and the integration of a statewide community through common interests and community involvement. These many benefits have been shown to ultimately enhance pathways to employment. MOGA is a statewide leader in the promotion of ethical sportsmanship and land stewardship to foster the continuation of Montana’s heritage of wildlife-associated recreation, qualities that are integrated into MATOR’s activities and services. Together, we can expand these valuable opportunities to all Montanans including those who are experiencing limitations due to aging or disability.  To learn more about the Montana Access To Outdoor Recreation (MATOR) program, benefit from services, or attend a MATOR activity, see our MOGA member profile, call us at 406-243-5751, or visit our independent website at http://recreation.ruralinstitute.umt.edu/Mator/index.asp. Thank you to MOGA and Executive Director Mac Minard for sharing this information! Chris Clasby, MSW MATOR Program Coordinator U of M Rural Institute/MonTECH 700 SW Higgins Ave, Ste 250 Missoula, MT 59803 406-243-2426 Office 406-243-4730 Fax clasby@ruralinstute.umt.edu http://montech.ruralinstitute.umt.edu |
 |
|
