Adaptive Biking & Mobility: Outdoor Participation

Adaptive Biking and Community Mobility
Part of CommuniKeys’ Outdoor Participation program

Help non-speaking autistic adults explore local paths and trails with the equipment, preparation, and support that make biking possible.

CommuniKeys has begun adaptive cycling pilots with adults and their caregivers. These experiences help us learn which bicycles, settings, and supports allow each person to participate. We want to build on that work through repeated opportunities to ride, practice, and enjoy being outdoors together.

What your support makes possible

• Access to suitable adaptive bicycles through rentals, loans, or equipment acquisition as resources allow.
• Experienced adaptive recreation instruction and equipment guidance.
• Staff planning and facilitation, route preparation, helmets, safety supplies, and maintenance.
• Communication access, sensory preparation, and time to become familiar with equipment and shared trails.

Caregivers participate alongside the adults they support. Experiences begin in suitable practice settings and develop according to participant interests, equipment fit, available support, and safety considerations.

Funding this activity

Our current annual planning range is approximately $10,000–$15,000 for this activity area, depending on equipment and instruction needs. This campaign’s $15,000 goal supports adaptive biking as one component of Outdoor Participation within CommuniKeys’ $250,000 annual fundraising effort. Your gift helps fund the equipment, staff time, preparation, and participation supports behind this activity.

We are currently seeking adaptive cycling experts and equipment partners to help us select a bike fleet suited to our participants and caregivers. One of our next major fundraising efforts will focus on purchasing that fleet. We are using $5,000 or more per bike as an initial planning estimate, with final costs depending on the models and configurations selected.

Your gift helps create more consistent opportunities to ride, make choices, share recreation, and build familiarity with community spaces.