Hiking Excursions for Persons with Disabilities: Experiences of Interdependence

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to understand the experience of participating in a group-assisted outdoor hiking excursion from the perspective of hikers with disabilities. The experiences of four adults with spinal cord injuries (two males, two females), aged 27 to 54 years, were gathered using the phenomenological case study methods of semi-structured interviews, participant generated photographs, and field notes. The thematic analysis revealed four themes: (a) off road rush, (b) not a wheelbarrow, (c) loss of control, and (d) interdependence. The exhilarating hiking experiences were accented by the transfer of individual control and independence of the hikers to the larger team. The implications of the findings are discussed within the context of self-regulated dependence.