Disabled RamblersWho are we?
We are a group of like-minded disabled people who enjoy being in the countryside, and who get about using paths and trails of all kinds. We are truly 'ramblers', although very few of us can walk more than a few yards! Our membership consists mainly of mobility disabled people and we get about mainly through use of a wide variety of mobility aids, ranging from electrically powered pavement buggies, scooters, powerchairs and, in some cases, manually propelled wheelchairs. We organise rambles of varying difficulty from easy to challenging all over England and Wales, and, along with our volunteers, spouses and friends, each event provides recreation and challenge to suit every taste.
How we started:
Back in the early 1990's, Dr Mike Bruton traversed the Ridgeway National Trail to raise funding for a medical charity and to explore issues of Disabled Access to the Countryside. Mike used a rickshaw made by British Airways Apprentices and the 50 mile weekend event was achieved with volunteer teams of pullers. Mike subsequently formed the Countryside Access Group as a subsidiary to the Disabled Drivers' Association. This later changed in a new National Charity, the Disabled Ramblers (registered number 1103508).
What we do:
We organise and run a programme of supported disabled rambles each year. We also campaign for better access by encouraging those responsible to remove inaccessible man made barriers, and, if appropriate, to address the surface quality of the path. Our policy is to seek access while fully preserving the character of the countryside. We have covered over 1,000 miles of off-road trail so far, and are committed to sharing our knowledge and experience gained with others.
Rambles
The group holds regular rambles across England and Wales from the New Forest to the Thames path, North Yorkshire Moors to the Gower peninsula to name a few. These rambles vary from easy where the surface is level to challenging which will be uneven, some steep gradients and probably a rocky surface. The distance covered is usually about 8 miles.
The 2009 programme of rambles is now available.
If you would like more information please see the page of events and for how to contact us, the contacts page.
Our sister organization in Scotland is: <www.ftdr.com>
