Adaptive Paddling Solutions Society (APSS) Newsletter – Summer 2025 Edition
Who Are We?
Founded in May 2022, Adaptive Paddling Solutions Society (APSS) is a nonprofit with a big dream: to make paddling accessible for everyone, regardless of ability.
Imagine gliding across Nova Scotia’s beautiful lakes, rivers, and coastal waters—the calm, the connection, the sense of freedom that paddling brings.
Now imagine that experience isn’t available to you—not because you don’t want to paddle, but because there are barriers in the way. For many people with disabilities, traditional paddling programs simply don’t make room for them.
That’s where we come in. At APSS, we’re breaking down those barriers—one paddle stroke at a time.
We’re building a more inclusive paddling community through education, resources, and connection. Our vision is grounded in values of inclusion, creativity, contribution, community, and the belief that with the right supports at the right time, anything is possible.
What Are We Up To Right Now?
We’ve got two exciting projects on the go:
🛶 1. Adaptive Paddling Guide
We’re in the final editing stages of our Adaptive Paddling Guide—a practical, user-friendly manual designed to promote and support inclusive paddling.
This guide is the result of 30+ years of experience from Pauline Halstead, founder of Abilities in Motion (AIM), a charitable organization in Ontario that has been helping people in wheelchairs get out on the water for over two decades. Her passion and knowledge are the heart of this guide.
We’re also producing demonstration videos this summer to bring the guide to life—with support from our friends at the Lemonaid Stand Society and videographer Tim Vanderspek. Stay tuned!
🚣 2. Accessible Launch Site Assessment Tool
Our second big project is an Accessible Launch Site Assessment Tool—a practical audit tool designed to help evaluate and improve paddling access points from the paddler’s perspective.
A big shoutout toDalhousie University Recreation Therapy student Emma Mader who helped us create a research-based framework for this tool!
Next steps? We need your help—especially from those in the paddling community—to test it out and help build a database of accessible launch sites. We believe this tool could be a perfect partner to the CKNS interactive map.
If you’re interested in getting involved, we’d love to hear from you! Contact us at info@adaptivepaddlingsolutions.org
