Abilitas Foundation

Info

The Cold Water Ranch Lodge will be constructed at the Cold Water Ranch, which is located 20 minutes west of Merritt, BC. The Abilitas Foundation is coordinating the development and construction of the fully accessible lodge as well as, in the future, accessible camp sites. Individuals with disabilities can bring their family, friends or personal support and use these facilities at no charge, as can disability organizations.

The right-hand navigation column will lead you to more information on the Accommodation and Activities at Cold Water Ranch.

Abilitas & the Cold Water Ranch Lodge

The Abilitas Foundation is a charitable organization, which was established with the vision of providing accessible respite accommodation and opportunities for ranch tourism and outdoor recreation. The Abilitas Foundation recognizes that:

• Truly accessible commercial accommodation is rare.
• Barriers to vacation are not just physical: both cost and community's lack of awareness prevent many families from taking breaks with their disabled loved ones.
• Outdoor activities are often inaccessible to people with disabilities in multiple ways.

Abilitas is building a fully accessible respite lodge which families with disabled family members, as well as disability organizations will be able to use at no charge. The Foundation is furthermore committed to creating opportunities that will enable and empower people with disabilities to access nature, view local wildlife, and experience ranch life. To that end, the Abilitas Foundation will create accessible trails and will provide equipment for outdoor access.

The Abilitas Foundation currently operates within the province of British Columbia and supports people with disabilities and their families that are BC residents. Based on the overwhelmingly positive response to the Cold Water Ranch respite lodge initiative (including offers of land donation), our hope is to use this experience to successfully transfer the Abilitas vision to other locations in the future.

In short: the Cold Water Ranch Lodge & Barrier-Free Respite

The lodge is envisioned as a barrier-free respite destination that allows families and groups to get away without having to worry about...

Bringing specialized equipment for their disabled loved one:
equipment such as lifts and commodes will be provided in this fully accessible lodge.

Being able to afford the stay:
the Abilitas Foundation does not charge a fee for use of the lodge.

Being excluded or ostracized:
the Cold Water Ranch offers an inclusive environment, where people with and without disabilities can come together to enjoy the Ranch as well as the outdoors.