LANCASTER, Pa. — The Conestoga River Club wants to make kayaking more accessible in Lancaster County.
“It really did begin with access, like wouldn’t it be cool if we could make better access," said Todd Roy, the president of the Conestoga River Club.
The nonprofit group is dedicated to the preservation of the Conestoga River; since 2020, the river club has pulled more than 38 tons of trash from the river.
Now it’s looking to expand river access for Pennsylvanians with disabilities by creating accessible boat launches at places like Reigart’s Landing in Lancaster County Central Park.
“What we’re hoping to achieve is that someone in a wheelchair can navigate, on their own, to the river’s edge, transfer into a boat, and launch themselves," said Roy.
The accessible boat launches will benefit groups like the Susquehanna Valley chapter of 'Team River Runner', which teaches kayaking to veterans with disabilities and blind children.
“If someone just wants to go out and have a day with their family along the water, it gets to be very difficult with those steep grades," stated Jennifer Eaton, a chapter secretary and paddle instructor for visually impaired children.
The instructor said the kayaking lessons help kids and adults alike feel more included on the water.
“It gives them that confidence and the ability to do something that their peers are doing," said Eaton.
Roy told FOX43 that the ultimate goal is to make the Conestoga River inclusive for everyone in Lancaster County.
“Developing that should lead to a kinder society, where we care about our neighbors, where we don’t see them as a problem, but as people who need help," said Roy. "Then we lift them up because rising water should lift every boat.”