Some might call it kismet that Anita O’Brien and Peter Abele met when they did more than 10 years ago. O’Brien was looking to hold weekly events with adaptive bicycles, and Abele was on a mission to make his business, the Erie Canal Boat Company in Fairport, more inclusive.
The two began offering adaptive cycling and kayaking along the Fairport canal and even installed a Hoyer lift, or patient lift, at the kayak launch to make canal access possible for more people. Although businesses may have accessible offerings throughout the year, O’Brien and Abele began offering accessibility seven days a week. “The difference being we have the equipment available every day, literally on demand during our season,” Abele says. “People don’t have to wait for a week in September or October to do accessible kayaking and bicycling.”
Their efforts led to a movement, including the launch of Rochester Accessible Adventures (RAA), a nonprofit organization dedicated to closing the gap in access to health and wellness activities for people with disabilities. “It’s not about just adding a ramp or a program—it’s about reshaping how communities think about who they serve,” says O’Brien, who is RAA founder and executive director.
In the years since, Fairport has embraced the mission. The dock and launch area have been revamped with an adaptive BoardSafe kayak launch to allow people in wheelchairs, and those with disabilities, to more easily enter and exit. Adult changing rooms have been added to the public restrooms. Trails have been made more accessible for wheelchairs, the village has more thoughtfully considered the placement and usability of benches, curb cuts, and parking, and sidewalks are currently under construction to remove hazards.
While some accessibility updates can be more complex, Nancy Ragus, executive director of the local nonprofit Fairport Perinton Partnership, says it can also be as simple as enlarging the print on your menu for people with vision needs or the level of music for a family that has a child with autism. “I’ve never met a business owner who wasn’t interested in accommodating a customer,” she says. “Most of the time, they’re so busy running their business, they just don’t think of it.”
While the benefits of greater inclusivity are far-reaching, it has also helped boost the local economy. According to O’Brien, after the Erie Canal Boat Company implemented accessible strategies, revenue increased by 31% in a single season.
The American Institute for Research reports that people with disabilities hold $4.9 billion in discretionary spending power. “That’s a massive market of individuals and families looking for places to visit, dine, recreate, and stay. And they don’t travel alone—they bring partners, friends, caregivers, and children with them,” she says. “When a community becomes truly accessible and inclusive, it taps into a visitor base that is loyal, engaged, and actively looking for destinations that ‘get it.’”
Jeannine Pelusio is one of those people who truly gets it. She opened a Fairport location of her business Stony Point Art Studio in January. Accessibility has always been close to Pelusio’s heart because she has a daughter with special needs. Her studio has a no-stop entry, and the bathroom is renovated to provide wheelchair access with a 60-inch turnaround. The gallery walls are also on wheels so she can shift them around the room as needed, making the space physically accessible. “The physicality piece of it was new to me. But the inclusivity has always been a part of my programming,” she says.
RAA has expanded to do more work along the Erie Canal with the Accessibility Education Program, which launched in 2024 in collaboration with the New York Power Authority and the New York State Canal Corporation.
"..everyone can wake up on any day of the week and say, ‘What’s our next adventure?’”