With the Wasatch Mountains acting as a backdrop, you could do worse than pay a visit to the National Ability Center. It is just 45 miles from Park City, Utah's Main Street. It covers 26 acres. The National Ability Center is a haven and a comforting challenge for individuals with a disability and their families.
The Center came into existence in 1985. It has since grown from a small group to a large organization with ample facilities to help the disabled achieve lifetime skills. The Center focuses on helping these individuals to become more self-confident and works to increase their self-esteem. It is not simply learning to cope with their disability. It is about learning to function fully in society.
The Center has a very active program. On the "Ranch" it has two riding arenas — one indoor, the other outdoor. There are also stables, an indoor climbing wall, an integrated playground, barrier-free trails and a universal challenge course. The programs encourage participation of all members of the family and friends — able and disabled. At the Center, you will find all partied playing and interacting together.
There are several programs run by the Center. They operate year-round. The largest and most popular is also one of their first ventures. This is the Alpine Ski and Snowboard program. It began in the Center's first year of operation. In all, there were only 45 ski lessons. Today, it operates for 7-days-a-week from November until April.
In co-operation with the
Park City Mountain Resort, the Center provides ski lessons under professional instructors. They also supply, whenever necessary, the specialized equipment. All ages take part. As is the case with all their programs, the Center encourages and gets integrated participation.
