MISSION
The mission of Ian’s Ride is to promote outdoor accessibility, further the availability of accessible technology, and encourage support services for those with mobility impairment.
What we do
We advocate at every opportunity for outdoor accessibility. This means not only encouraging people with mobility impairments to get outside, but to advocate for policy change regarding safe and connected infrastructure for those not in cars.
Ian’s Ride has developed several rides throughout Western Washington to give people with mobility impairments additional opportunities to get outside, including our flagship event Sea to Sound.
We also regularly consult with tech companies, such as Apple, to continue to improve hands-free technology to allow those with severe mobility impairments access to tech devices.
The beginning
Ian’s Ride began in 2016, when our founder, Ian Mackay, set off on a wheelchair journey across the state of Washington. Ian incurred a spinal cord injury from a bicycle crash in 2008, leaving him paralyzed from the neck down. Prior to his injury he was an avid outdoorsman, biology student, birder, and lover of nature. The devastating injury left Ian thinking that his outdoor pursuits were no longer available. As the years rolled by, small steps were made, technology advanced, and Ian was able to access a phone where he could call for help. He began venturing further away from home on his local bike path, rekindling his love of nature and cycling. Although in a power wheelchair, driving with his mouth, he still felt connected with the cycling community. The big ride across Washington in 2016 was an experiment to see just how doable cross country travel might be for a power wheelchair. Ian got some cycling friends to join him, with the promise that they could enjoy a craft beer each evening. The journey became something larger than expected. 335 miles were traveled, lives were changed, imaginations were sparked, and hearts were forever touched. Numerous other wheelchair users and cyclists joined in on the ride. Strangers reached out from far and wide with their stories of disability and their desire to get more active outdoors. What began as a long ride with a daily beer turned into a media whirlwind and education on active transportation.
In the aftermath of the 2016 Ride, Ian gave a lot of talks and gathered several awards. With the encouragement of supporters, he realized he needed to continue his outreach. This began the nonprofit organization of Ian’s Ride.