Accessible Skiing and Snowboarding at Dagmar – Special Needs and Accommodations
We believe that everyone should be able to enjoy skiing and snowboarding. For some, safe accessible skiing or snowboarding means one-to-one instructor support. For others, safe accessible skiing or snowboarding means certified adaptive skiing instructors and equipment adaptations.
Skiing and snowboarding is a high risk sport which involves speed, physical exertion, and dynamic environments where the risk of injury is real.
Before registering for one of our ski school programs or taking on the slopes, it is important to identify whether additional or adaptive support may be needed. Additional or adaptive support may be needed to support people with visual impairments, with physical impairments, who are neurodiverse, or who are developmentally diverse. This includes, but is not limited to, those with Autism Spectrum Disorder, ADD/ADHD, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Multiple Sclerosis, and Muscular Dystrophy.
To support a safe and successful experience, we ask that any possible needs for additional or adaptive support be disclosed during the registration process. This allows our team to assess how best to accommodate individual needs and whether we are the right setting for a safe skiing or snowboarding experience. Skiing and snowboarding involve speed, physical exertion, and dynamic environments where the risk of injury is real. Clear, upfront communication about support needs is essential to help keep everyone safe on the slopes.
If someone requires additional or adaptive support, then steps will be taken to support them. We are happy to support accessible skiing and snowboarding by:
- Working in partnership with the guest and/or their guardian to identify support needs.
- Supporting the development by the guest or their guardian of a safe ski or snowboarding plan.
- Encouraging the presence of a guardian or support person on or near the slopes.
- Offering private lessons (at standard private lesson rates) in place of group lessons.
- Offering flexible private lessons, to allow for more breaks or a slower pace.
- Assigning a consistent instructor, when possible, to support relationship-building and familiarity.
- Providing assistance with equipment fitting and rentals.
- Identifying quiet or less busy opportunities to ski or snowboard.
- Referring guests to a ski hill with CADS-certified adaptive instructors.
Please Note: Our instructors hold a minimum Level 1 certified CSIA (Canadian Ski Instructor’s Alliance) and CASI (Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors). However, they are not CADS certified in adaptive skiing and snowboarding and they do not hold other certifications in teaching individuals with special needs. For specialized instructions, we recommend CADS Ontario, which has eight partner locations across the province. https://cadsontario.ca. There are currently eight CADS partner locations in Ontario offering adaptive programs.
The safety of all guests and staff is our top priority. We may need to make individualized assessments to determine whether we can safely accommodate specific needs. In circumstances where a safe experience cannot be reasonably assured, we may need to modify, decline, or cancel a registration or lift ticket. For example, our staff may determine that a guest requires additional support beyond what can safely be provided in a group lesson. We recognize that these decisions can be frustrating, but they are made with safety in mind.
Disrespectful or aggressive behaviour toward staff will not be accepted under any circumstances.
Let’s all work together to ensure a positive and safe experience on our beautiful mountain.
