Accessibility
for the Physically Impaired
Over the past few years, we have made strides
toward accessibility for those who are physically impaired. As
we have remodeled and upgraded our facilities over the past 10
years, we have included access in our plans. Because the
buildings are generally older and our resources are limited, we
are not completely wheelchair accessible, even so. On this
page, we have laid out what are accessibility limitations are,
allowing those who can use this information to decide for
themselves if they will be able to navigate our ranch. Because
we have just placed this information on our website, we do not
have photos of these spaces to place on this page. We will be
having some taken, and adding them soon.
We have one cabin with a wheelchair ramp and an accessible bathroom. The shower/tub is not roll-in, but the type with bars and a seat, as well as the shower head on a hose that can be hand-held. The sink has the large, push handles, and there are bars by the toilet.
The lodge has two ramps for entry. One is a removable ramp on the South end of the deck (facing the cabins) where the step is about 8” high. This ramp is short, and is not a 1 in 12 pitch. It rises about 8 inches in about 2 feet. There is another ramp on the back of the lodge, accessing the patio. It is close to a 1 in 12 pitch, but built a couple of feet short to avoid the removal of a very nice birch tree. The patio can also be accessed from ground level on both the North and South ends.
Bathrooms in the lodge are a little more difficult. The guest bathrooms are not wheelchair accessible, and down a short, narrow hall. The staff bathroom is not as nice, but is large enough to roll in. The door is 30” and there is an unobstructed circle of about 4 foot 10 inches, with one wall shelf protruding another 4 inches into the circle. The sink cabinet extends to the floor, and is not roll-under.
The living room and dining rooms in the lodge are open and have no limitations for access, as is the ping-pong room. The upstairs balcony in the lodge where the pool table and poker table are have stairs only.
The grounds themselves are not suitable for narrow tires. There is no pavement, all roads are gravel. We also sit on a slope, which itself is more than a 1 in 12 pitch. We recommend a power scooter for those who are not ambulatory and are able to use one. The fat tires do well and the motor makes the trip to and from the cabins without problems. For those who are ambulatory, but not able to walk distances, we recommend a golf cart. Both are available to rent in Bend, and can be delivered to the ranch prior to your arrival.
Our conference center and meeting space is two story, but accessible from ground level on both stories. The meeting rooms themselves have no steps or obstructions. The only interior access from one story to the other is the stairs. During the dude ranch season, This building is only used for massages and yoga.
The upstairs bathroom of the conference center, next to the main meeting room, does have wall bars, but the space is small. There is 29” between the side of the toilet and the wall, and the room is only a 4’10” square, with the sink recessed outside of that square. There is ample room outside the door to turn around and back in. The sink is not roll-under.
The downstairs bathrooms in the conference center do have an unobstructed 5’ circle in from of the sink, but not in front of the toilets. The bathroom stalls are narrow, at 30.” The downstairs sinks are roll-under, to accommodate a wheelchair.
Our hot-tub/ spa have no steps limiting access, but is not roll-in. The only ground level access to the swimming pool area (available in summer only) is over the lawn and through a gate down by the youth center. The main gate facing the lodge is accessed through stairs. The pool is also not roll-in.
For horseback riding, we would like to talk about your limitations and needs to put together a plan that will work for you. For riding here on the ranch, we do not have adaptive equipment ourselves. Horses are mounted from blocks, we do not have equipment to lift riders from chairs or the ground.
There is an outstanding therapeutic riding center here in Bend, and we have them as a resource to help us meet your needs. Healing Reins is a non-profit organization, and a member of North American Riding for the Handicapped Association. If we are unable to accommodate your horseback riding experience here on the ranch, arrangements can be made for you to ride at their center.
The path to our tennis courts and basketball half-court is a little rough, but there are no stairs or steps to limit access. Again. A scooter with beefy tires works best in our ranch environment.
We hope this information is helpful in determining if our setting will work for you. If you have further questions, or if we have missed something here, please e-mail eva@rocksprings.com, or call us at 800-225-3833.
