This Month:

• How to Disable a Cache By Tee King, aka Pyewacket
• Packing Sweet By Torry

Please forgive me if some of my terms, such as gimp, biped, and "wheelchair pilot" offend you; I can't keep up with the PC term of the day. Therefore, I use the phrases I've always used and will continue to use. What makes a cache accessible? Because I'm a gimp, I've been asked that question many times. I could copy information provided by the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), but I don't think geocaching is one of those categories that they will "watchdog". Frequently, I've given a partial answer here, and tidbits of information there, but have never given an in-depth answer that attempts to illustrate many of the problems encountered by a disabled geocacher like myself. I hope to do that here, once and for all. In the future, I can simply type a URL that will bring the querent to this page. Please forgive me if some of my terms, such as gimp, biped, and "wheelchair pilot" offend you; I can't keep up with the PC term of the day. Therefore, I use the phrases I've always used and will continue to use.

A cache that may be accessible to me may not be accessible to others in wheelchairs, or to those who use a cane, walker, or crutches, and still others with prosthetic limbs. Personally speaking, I take my chair where it probably shouldn't go; I can't tell you how many times I've come home with poison oak, ivy, and kudzu vines wrapped around the axles of my power chair. This means that, most often, I have to go "off trail" to get to a cache, even for caches rated a 1 terrain. One of these days, I'm going to be sorry I overstretched the boundaries of my own abilities, but until that day comes, I'll keep pushing the envelope.

The following are some guidelines to keep in mind when placing a cache. Remember, though, that every disability differs, as do mobility aids, making the accessibility of a cache a very subjective matter, indeed. I use an electric wheelchair, but will attempt to write this article from the viewpoint of someone who both uses a manual chair, as I used to, and also has other disabilities. In addition, I recommend consulting Handicaching.com, which is a valuable resource to the disabled caching community and able-bodied cachers alike, supplying information regarding this matter.

In order to assign a 1 rating to the terrain, the route to the cache should be on a very smooth, level, hard-packed surface, such as asphalt or concrete, or dirt that will not turn to mud with the least amount of wet weather. Grass (or other vegetation) greatly reduces the ergonomics of propelling a chair. It's fine for short distances, but for someone who may be in a wheelchair due to a degenerative bone disease, like myself, propelling a chair takes its toll on the shoulder joints (and weak/damaged muscles). Wheeling across grass or carpeting can be compared to a biped slogging through mud; the effort needed is much greater because of the friction. Pine needles and/or sand should automatically increase the terrain rating by one star, minimum. Wheels bog down quickly in sand; likewise pine needles, unless they're wet, and then they simply spin and spin.

Many wheelchair pilots don't have a great range of motion when it comes to picking up objects on the ground or reaching for them...test this yourself... Many wheelchair pilots don't have a great range of motion when it comes to picking up objects on the ground or reaching for them. To test this yourself, sit in a chair like one you would find at a dining table. Place your feet on a surface at least six inches high. Now, without leaning too far, or tipping the chair, try to pick up a film canister from the floor. Next, try to reach something higher than five feet off the floor. Now, five feet may be a reasonable number for those who don't have problems with their arms. However, it's quite a "stretch" for me because of the degeneration in my shoulder joints; to reach something at that height is, quite often, excruciating. Most often, a cache at that height is not obtainable. Factor in those individuals with diseases such as MS, and a reach of that distance may be impossible.

Before handicaching.com was made public, I assisted in creating guidelines for accessible caches (until Today's Cacher recruited me; unfortunately, I just don't have the time to contribute to both). I believe their recommended cache height of two to three feet was based, in part, on my input. That's optimal for me, but again, I often push my limits in order to log a cache. Others simply may not have a problem with their arms. Still, their reach from a seated position will be less than that of the average biped. Be sure that, if a cache can be pulled down, it can be replaced as it was found. Granted, if a wheelchair user doesn't think he or she can put the cache back in the same location in which it was found, they shouldn't attempt it.

One of the most important things to look for in rating caches are whether or not there are curb cuts allowing access to the caching area. I've been to many caches rated a 1, yet I've had to go far out of my way just to get up onto the curb and back to where the "hike" to the cache begins. Similarly, no matter if the terrain is as smooth as glass, how far is the cache from where a vehicle will park? This area is too subjective to throw out a definitive number, but it's something to keep in mind. The rougher the terrain, the shorter should be the distance, as they're very much related when you take into consideration how much friction is caused by grass or a less than smooth terrain.

Many parks have steps leading to points of interest, but no ramps. I know it sounds silly, but many cachers don't even think about how monstrous stairs can be. Sure, I can maneuver stairs on my arse, but what happens when I get to the top (or bottom), only to look down (or up) and see my chair there? If a ramp is available, be sure to note that it's not too steep (again, this is subjective), and that it meets the ground smoothly, without a first step that might tip a chair backwards, or spill the person forward out of their chair.

Need a boat to get to a cache? Try a terrain level of no less than 4, unless the cacher is in a collapsible chair and has an assistant to get the chair (likewise, the cacher) in and out of the boat. The cache on the other side of the water should follow the guidelines suggested here. If a small stream is to be forded sans boat, remember that this may likely be an impossible feat for a disabled cacher, even if an easy course of stepping stones is available.

Even an ammo can can give me fits on a bad day, and if a micro's contents are squirreled away in one of those "line-up-the-arrows" pill bottles, forget it. What happens if you biking cachers get a flat on your journey to a cache? Changing a flat isn't the same for us; even though bicycle tires can be used on wheelchairs, we usually don't have a patch kit. Even if we did, it would probably require sitting on the ground just to get the wheel off. Transferring from our chairs to another chair is hard enough for some gimps, let alone getting back into a wheelchair from the ground. Check the entire route to and from the cache for objects such as broken glass, sharp rocks, and other debris that could puncture a tire.

Let's say the cache is two to three feet off the ground, on a smooth surface, in a location that is accessible via curb cuts. Is it hidden in something that requires a lot of force to open or lift? Even an ammo can can give me fits on a bad day, and if a micro's contents are squirreled away in one of those "line-up-the-arrows" pill bottles, forget it. Granted, these issues don't necessarily address the use of a mobility aid like a wheelchair, but many people who need them (and many who don't) have other weaknesses.

Can you hear me now? Good! Never mind the GPS signal, how reliable is a cell phone signal around the cache site? If we should need assistance, will there be anyone to hear our cries for help? I carry a very loud, very shrill whistle with me in case I become stranded. And, as ludicrous as it may sound, I also carry a package of sparklers in my swag bag; they burn very brightly and can be seen for quite a distance at night. I mention these not so you can rate the terrain, per se, but they're factors to consider, and perhaps mention in the cache description.

On a personal note, I sometimes get the feeling that people hide accessible caches because they know how much I truly love geocaching. However, please realize that I neither expect every cache to be accessible, nor do I want it that way. How boring would it be for you extreme cachers to forego the seven-mile hike through the deepest, darkest woods to find the treasure hidden there. Sure, I'm envious, especially since I was an avid hiker in my younger days...before the first of 16 surgeries on my legs. But, reading some of your accomplishments may make a cache for you a true virtual cache for me; I live vicariously through some of your adventures, and would never expect you to go for the mundane.