What is the Access Trax Brand Purpose?
Access Trax is a social impact company focused on empowering people of all physical abilities to live healthy and active lifestyles without barriers. In order to achieve this, we rent and sell the Access Trax portable wheelchair access mats so everyone can gain access to outdoor terrain like sand, grass, gravel and snow. This helps to break down the physical barriers to the outdoors. But we recognize there are other ways besides our product that we can be an advocate for the disability community. We are passionate about being an ally and contribute in other ways, too. Below you’ll find out 3 specific ways Access Trax gives back to the community.
1. Access Trax Sponsors Adaptive Sports Events
One of the ways we can make a difference is by helping outdoor adaptive sports events get the access routes they need over sand and grass. This allows their event participants to fully experience and enjoy the event without the physical barrier of the environment. Access Trax was invented originally for adaptive surfers so they can cross sand in their wheelchairs. That is a major reason why you’ll notice Access Trax sponsoring or volunteering at a lot of adaptive surf events over the years.
Access Trax has been an in-kind sponsor of events such as the US Open Adaptive Surfing Championships since 2017
Other events we’ve sponsored include the Challenged Athletes Foundation annual Community Challenge Weekend in October, and the Switchfoot Bro-Am Beach Festival in Encinitas each June. Both events have large numbers of participants and benefit the adaptive sports community. Finally, another major event we sponsor is the World Para Surfing Championships. This is the premier event in para (adaptive) surfing and we have been volunteering or sponsoring since 2016 to provide the athletes beach access during the competition.
2. Access Trax Helps Educate & Inspire
Over the past 6 years, Access Trax founder Kelly Twichel has been passionate about educating students of all ages and medical professionals. She travels around the country to speak on subjects such as the value of adaptive sports and recreation, assistive technology, universal design, and how to become a social impact problem-solver. Kelly shares information based on her background as an occupational therapist and what she’s learned with Access Trax. A few of the places she’s presented include the University of San Diego, Sharp Grossmont Hospital and also Harvard University in Boston.
Kelly presents to Harvard University students to encourage them to become social-impact startup founders
3. Access Trax Joins Local Organizations to Create Community Event
Back in January 2022, Kelly joined a small group of San Diego-based nonprofits and businesses focused on empowering people in the community who use wheelchairs for mobility. The group coined their name the “Mobility Community Access Partners” or MCAP for short. The first goal was to host a event in San Diego to bring people together. So with limited resources and a lot of determination, in June 2022 they hosted the first ever Adaptive Sports, Recreation and Resource Fair in San Diego.
The event included adaptive sports such as wheelchair basketball, adaptive fitness, kayaking, boccia ball, and adaptive over-the-line. Lunch was served and there were plenty of community resource booths to browse. It was a huge success! The feedback was so positive that the group decided not only would it be an annual thing, but they’d try to host another one in October! On June 3rd 2023, MCAP will be hosting yet another one of these events in Crown Point Park on the bay. Special thank you to the San Diego Chapter of United Spinal Association (Spinal Network) and San Diego Therapeutic Recreation Services for playing an instrumental role in making this event happen!
Access Trax is one of the founding members of the Mobility Community Access Partners in San Diego which hosts an adaptive sports and resource fair twice a year since 2022
More About Access Trax
Inspired by adaptive surfers, Access Trax empowers people with physical disabilities to access outdoor terrain using our portable access mats. Outdoor terrain like sand, grass or snow is a barrier to the millions of people around the world with mobility challenges. The Trax pathway was invented by 2 occupational therapists in order to make the outdoors more accessible. It is the most user-friendly and cost-effective solution for sale and rent. We are proud to serve families, adaptive sports organizations, the National Park Service, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The durable pathways are also being used by the film and construction industries for a stable surface over terrain! Access Trax is committed to advocacy and community service including beach cleanups, inclusion advocacy, and inspiring future entrepreneurs. Access Trax provides “Access for Life.”
To learn more, check out the product here. To learn 6 common uses for a portable access mat, check out this article.
