Outdoor activities with disabilities: three paths to inclusive adventure

Rough terrain, forest trails or steep inclines – for many people with limited mobility, these have long seemed like impassable obstacles. The Exoquad offers new possibilities: This fully electric, all-wheel-drive off-road vehicle was specifically designed for people with disabilities. Whether due to an accident, multiple sclerosis or age-related limitations, the handcrafted Norwegian vehicle takes its users to places where conventional paths stop.

What that feels like in practice is shown in a video from REHACARE 2024: Abdulgazi (Gazi) Karaman tested the Exoquad live on site and was visibly thrilled.

Watch now: How Gazi tests the Exoquad at REHACARE 2024, including stairs and inclines

Gliding across a lake together, feeling the waves, enjoying the sunshine: the sit-on SUP brings people with and without disabilities out onto the water. Instead of standing, wheelchair users sit securely on a specially adapted board: up to four wheelchairs can be fixed in place, with additional space for others – whether standing, lying down or paddling alongside.

Calm lakes are ideal for getting started, while those feeling confident can head out into the waves. Today, there are numerous providers across Germany and Europe offering accessible SUP experiences. One of them is Nature Guides, who also presented the board at REHACARE 2024.

Dog-human teams making their way through mud pits and forest trails – when Sina Schachel first saw pictures of Camp Canis, she was excited. And at the same time, deeply discouraged. Something like that could never be possible for her as a wheelchair user, she thought. Too rough, too muddy, too far removed from everyday life.

But years later, everything changed: a giveaway, an "Anxiety Ticket", encouragement from her family and friends – and, above all, the outdoor wheelchair Hippocampe opened the way. Her first Camp Canis event in spring 2023 became a deeply emotional turning point:

"The overwhelming feeling of realizing what’s possible, despite all odds, still brings tears to my eyes."

The Hippocampe is a rugged outdoor wheelchair with wide wheels that can be pushed or pulled – and it’s even floatable. It was developed by the French manufacturer Vipamat, who is also exhibiting on a regular basis at REHACARE.

For Sina, the Hippocampe is much more than a mobility aid: "The Hippocampe makes it possible to take part in these events. But it’s also so much more: participation, hope, personal growth – and all of it together with my dogs."

Since then, Sina has received numerous messages from people with other disabilities who, inspired by her story, have decided to sign up for Camp Canis themselves.

Originally published on: July 23, 2025
Last updated on: March 03, 2026