Wide Open Access

The founders of Wide Open Access, Ryan Brownell and Austin McDivitt, were raised in the central valley of California. They grew up wakeboarding, dirt biking, snowboarding, and camping, but most importantly growing a strong social circle throughout these experiences.

In January of 2019, their fast paced world came to a sudden halt when Austin was injured in a snowboarding accident that left him with a spinal cord injury, paralyzing him from the belly button down. After Austin’s accident, our goals shifted. It was no longer about just experiencing these moments for just ourselves. We always understood the importance of these life pillars and the perspective it gives individuals, but now have been called to share these moments with others and give them an experience of their own.

That is our goal with Wide Open Access: to distribute the wealth of experiences, to break barriers with individuals that have been told it is no longer possible to attain these moments based on their current life circumstances. Individuals with physical and cognitive disabilities will have the opportunity to create the two things that drive our lives to fulfillment: relationships and stories. We want to provide an opportunity to create memories that you will still be talking about until the end of your days.

Through the use of adaptive side-by-side excursions, individuals will have the opportunity to explore parts of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in and around Fresno county, California that are traditionally not deemed accessible for them. In order to complete these activities we plan on receiving funds through state and federal grants along with private donations from businesses and individuals alike. We also plan to organize numerous fundraising events that work with people/businesses in our local community to help raise the funds that we need.

Our hope is when someone walks out of our doors they have the confidence to re-take life by the horns and pave the path they want, not the one they have been given.