Adaptive Sports Program New Mexico
Grants Awarded
The Adaptive Sports Program of New Mexico (ASPNM) will provide an inclusive ski and snowboarding program in 2024 for public school students with disabilities, utilizing adaptive equipment to facilitate participation. The program aims to remove barriers to outdoor recreation for low-income disabled youth, fostering opportunities for them to learn, connect with nature, and build community relationships in a positive environment.
The Adaptive Sports Program New Mexico facility will serve as an inclusive center for individuals with disabilities participating in adaptive skiing and snowboarding at Ski Santa Fe, fostering engagement among hundreds of athletes and volunteers throughout the season. By offering a variety of adaptive equipment, the program promotes accessibility and encourages active participation in winter sports for all, benefiting both participants and the local community.
For over a decade, Adaptive Sports Program New Mexico (ASPNM) has offered affordable and sometimes no-cost adaptive skiing and snowboarding experiences for students with disabilities; these programs offer individualized instruction, necessary equipment, and winter gear. Alongside numerous public schools, ASPNM almost doubled student participation in 2023/2024, thanks to the Outdoor Equity Fund's support. With extra funds, ASPNM intends to increase capacity while prioritizing each student’s unique learning experience, ensuring everyone has a memorable, positive day outside and ending every session with a celebration of achievements.
The Adaptive Sports Program New Mexico (ASPNM) has been providing transformative adaptive snowboarding and skiing instruction to students with disabilities for over a decade. The program collaborates with special education programs in several public schools, removing financial barriers by using Outdoor Equity Fund support to offer this no-cost, multi-week winter sports experience. Youth not only gain skills and confidence in snow sports, but also in their daily lives, while participating schools and the community benefit from increased inclusivity. Scholarships cover equipment rentals, lift tickets, and personalized instruction, and ensure continuous program improvement and strong communication between schools, volunteers, and host mountains.
The Adaptive Sports Program New Mexico (ASPNM) has been providing adaptive ski and snowboard training to students with disabilities for over a decade, refining each participant's experience. The Winter Youth Schools Program, partnered with special education programs in schools across New Mexico, enables students to develop skills, confidence, and independence through regular half-day lessons. Participation has doubled and fees have been eliminated due to Outdoor Equity Fund support, increasing accessibility to these transformative experiences. The upcoming season will continue fostering diversity, resilience and outdoor connection among participants, with NMORD scholarships covering full participation costs and roles ensuring participant safety, coordination, and quality of experience.
The mission of the Adaptive Sports Program New Mexico (ASPNM) is to enhance the lives of children and adults with disabilities through recreation. Since 1985, ASPNM has given children and adults with disabilities the opportunity to pursue a healthy lifestyle through activities including adaptive skiing and snowboarding, watersports, archery, rock climbing and more. ASPNM’s goal is to enable each participant to be active, feel empowered and accomplished, and develop a network of support through the ASPNM community. ASPNM is committed to inclusivity in order to serve the broadest possible audience. ASPNM works with individuals with many types of disabilities which include, but are not limited to, including vision impairments, hearing impairments, amputations, spinal cord injuries, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, neurological conditions, developmental delays, traumatic brain injury, autism, and Down syndrome. ASPNM works with people of all ages, from children as young as six to octogenarians. ASPNM actively partners with other organizations to broaden the scope of our services and reach new audiences. We strive to remove any obstacles to participation so that anyone who wishes to join is able to do so. ASPNM provides scholarships to over 30% of its athletes, invests in a wide range of innovating adaptive gear in order to accommodate individuals with varying abilities, and continually refines programs to best serve the needs of ASPNM athletes. ASPNM’s highly experienced and trained staff is supported by a committed team of over 250 volunteers throughout the state. Each year, ASPNM serves nearly 300 individuals with disabilities and provides 1,000+ adaptive lessons through its many different programs.