Trekking and Disabilities

An increasing number of people with disabilities are seeking and requesting opportunities to engage in outdoor activities, giving rise to a growing trend known as accessible tourism with adapted hiking. Liguria offers many opportunities to combine trekking and disabilities. The CAI has compiled a list of twenty adapted trails—five for each of the four provinces—which can be easily accessed through this link.

The reason for a choice

Hiking allows individuals and groups to establish a genuine connection with nature, adding value to the already undeniable psychological and physical benefits of physical activity. It promotes the adoption of positive behaviours such as socialisation and the exercise of personal responsibility.

Trekking and Disabilities: Adapted Hiking

It involves the application of mountain therapy principles to tourism by equipping existing trails and creating a network for accommodating people with disabilities. Additionally, a national registry of accessible trails is essential for adapted hiking. The idea of socially inclusive hiking originated within the CAI Regional Group Liguria shortly before the outbreak of the pandemic.

The project

It focuses on offering hiking activities aimed at stimulating and reinforcing behaviours while overcoming the stigma associated with users with disabilities. The CAI has opened a dialogue with Mental Health Services to offer a different experience to the individuals under their care. For psychiatric patients, the mountain therapy model has been prioritised, whereas for users with motor or visual difficulties, the adapted hiking model has been preferred, thanks to the provision of off-road aids (such as joëlettes) that enable this type of activity, and the creation of specific routes for visually impaired individuals.