In 2022, MonTECH Director Molly Kimmel secured a grant from the Christopher & Dana Reeves Foundation to make Montana lakes and ponds more accessible to kayakers with physical disabilities. Five stunning locations for accessible kayak launches were selected through partnerships with the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. National Park Service, and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.
In 2024, BoardSafe adaptive kayak launches were delivered to the Montana locations. These launches allow a safe way for paddlers with strength and dexterity challenges, including those using wheelchairs, to independently launch their canoes and kayaks.
MonTECH’s partners hope to install the launches in 2025-2026 at Hauser Lake and Spring Meadow Lake State Park in the Helena area, Lake Elmo State Park in Billings, and Yellow Bay State Park on Flathead Lake. A fifth launch will be installed in Glacier National Park as an important component of a larger project to improve campground and pathway accessibility.
MonTECH was proud to lead this effort to improve accessibility of Montana’s beautiful waterways so all Montanans can enjoy paddling in Big Sky Country.