Barriers to Accessibility for Skiing

Across Canada, ski areas do not consistently or thoroughly recognize the experiences of persons with disabilities. Consequently, barriers to accessibility occur and impede inclusion for skiing. Five types of barriers to accessibility are experienced for skiing: architectural and physical, attitudinal, organizational and systemic, informational and communicational, and technological barriers. This thesis explores how design research can be used to identify and address barriers to accessibility for skiing. Three research phases are conducted: a preliminary field study, a questionnaire, and directed storytelling. A participatory design approach facilitates the researcher, subject matter experts, and target users of adaptive skiing to contribute to design recommendations and practical approaches that may improve the experience of skiing. Lastly, the thesis proposes further research and design of an interactive accessibility map as a novel method for information provision to reduce the impact of barriers to accessibility for skiing.