Strategic Plan and Work Plan

Our Strategic Plan Summery (2024)

Background: 

Sixty one million Americans have a disability that impacts major life activities (including  outdoor recreation and sports ) according to a CDC report.   “Sport changes the person with a disability by empowering them to realize their full potential, acquire vital social skills and develop independence.  Additionally, “sport can help reduce the stigma and discrimination associated with disability, because it transforms community attitudes about persons with disabilities by highlighting their skills and reducing the tendency to see the disability instead of the person”.   

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an  international instrument to address the rights of persons with disabilities and sport. The convention calls on countries and governments to take appropriate measures to encourage and promote the participation of persons with disabilities in mainstream sporting activities at all levels and that children with disabilities enjoy equal access to play, recreation and leisure and sporting activities.  


Most people who live in or move to Valley County do so for the opportunity for endless outdoor recreation. However, there is a population of citizens who have limited access to these activities.  In Idaho there are 186,144 people aged 65 and under identified with a disability and in Valley County the number are 922 persons identified with a disability (2022 census).   We live in a beautiful mountainous area dotted with lakes and rivers. These great outdoors can be used as a tool to unlock human potential rather than an obstacle limiting potential.  Many people with disabilities face significant barriers to participating in outdoor recreation. Trained volunteers in the Adaptive Wilderness Sports of McCall (AWeSOMe!) program with an understanding of disabilities use adaptive techniques and equipment to unlock the joy held within participants using outdoor recreation and sport.  AWeSOMe! works to break down barriers and enhance inclusion by adapting to individual differences while teaching skills in outdoor recreation.


Challenge Statement:  It is our greatest challenge to help people be aware of outdoor recreation opportunities and to achieve success in outdoor recreation and sports. The AWeSOMe! program is the regional program to make this happen.  


 AWeSOMe! was created in 2002 to address the needs of children with disabilities to recreate in the Idaho outdoors by first offering an After School Ski Program . Since then AWeSOMe! has become a fully integrated  year-round adaptive outdoor recreation program, with a winter home base at Brundage Mountain Resort, offering  a full range of adaptive sports instruction for individuals with a disability of all ages and all abilities.  As well, AWeSOMe! has since added additional adaptive recreation activities including snowshoeing and cross-country skiing in the winter, with kayaking, canoeing, adaptive cycling and day/overnight activity camps in the summer. AWeSOMe!  is  a charter member of  Move United USA (formerly Disabled Sports USA).  As a subordinate Unit, AWeSOMe! is recognized as a tax-exempt nonprofit organization under Move United IRS 501(c)(3) Group Tax Exempt status. Liability insurance is purchased through Move United. Funding is received through grants, donations, modest activity registration fees, and fundraising events. 


Current Mission Statement:

It is the mission of AWeSOMe! to improve quality of life for people with disabilities by increasing awareness and benefits of outdoor recreation opportunities. We facilitate participation and success in outdoor recreation and sports.


Organizational Goals 


Our Work Plan

The Work Plan is a document that Moves the strategic plan into actionable steps to guide our growth. 

The Plan will be posted when it is summerized soon.