Adaptive Sailing Program
The sport of sailing is unique in that it is well suited for people of all levels of physical ability to enjoy for an entire lifetime. The sailing facility in East Boston Piers Park was designed and built as the most accessible (and the only fully wheelchair-accessible) sailing facility in Boston. It has a specially designed ramp and dock that meets ADA requirements and can accommodate wheelchair users at any level of tide. The primary sailboat used at PPSC is the Sonar Class, which was chosen as a Paralympic Class boat because of its adaptability for sailors with disabilities.
Special programs have been designed for the Perkins School for the Blind, Health South Rehabilitation Hospital, East Boston Neighborhood Health Center, Outdoor Explorations, Butlee Handicap Outdoor Adventures, the Ivy Street School for people with brain injuries, and Northeast Passages, an outing club for people with disabilities.
In 2005, PPSC was granted funding from the Lead to Opportunities for Youth with Disabilities (LOYD) initiative to design and develop youth sailing programs that specifically include young people with disabilities. PPSC used this generous support to expand the number of children with disabilities served; expand the depth of contact between trained instructors and children with disabilities; include children with disabilities in the skill and leadership development benefits offered in PPSC programs; establish collaborations with disability organizations; and provide professional development for all staff.
Piers Park is a nonprofit community sailing center that uses Boston Harbor and the seas beyond to provide year-round recreational, educational, and personal growth opportunities for people of all ages and abilities!
