To cancel a reservation, please call 716-699-3504 or email firstname.lastname@example.org
Adaptive Ski Program
Our team of dedicated volunteers help people with disabilities get out on the slopes
We offer lessons for children, young adults, and adults.
Learn about classes, how to sign up, the disabilities we serve, and about scholarships.
More About the Ski ProgramFAQ's
December 26th – March 22nd weather permitting.
We begin accepting lesson requests on November 15th. All requests will be processed in the order they are received.
We offer morning (9:30 – 11:30) and afternoon (1:00 – 3:00) lessons daily.
Lessons are by reservation only and must be made by emailing us at email@example.com
Please include the name of the skier, address, phone number, a brief description of the skier’s disability and the requested dates and times.
Understand that all of our instructors are volunteers and our instructor roster is limited. In an effort to give as many students as possible an opportunity for lessons we must initially limit each student to 4 lessons per season and one lesson per day. Any students who wish to schedule more lessons will be placed on a “wait list” to be contacted as space becomes available.
Students must be at least 5 years of age.
There is a weight limit of 180 pounds for students requiring a sit-ski unless they are independent mono-skiers who are self-loading on the chair lift.
Adaptive sports are beneficial both physically and psychologically. LASP instills a sense of achievement, independence and inclusion in its students lives.
LASP offers lessons to persons with virtually all disabilities, both physical and cognitive. The operative word in this program is ‘adaptive’. If someone wants to ski, the dedicated and enthusiastic Lounsbury volunteers will do everything they can to find a way to get them out on the slopes. The focus is always on what a student can do, not on what they can’t. A single lesson usually involves two instructors and sometimes three depending on the severity of the student’s disability and the type of adaptive ski equipment required.
Examples of some of our more frequently encountered disabilities are spinal cord injuries, amputations, Down’s syndrome, spina bifida, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, visual impairment, hearing impairment, autism and developmental delay.
A two hour lesson is $100 and includes a lift ticket and all necessary equipment. Scholarships available.
The Lounsbury Adaptive Ski Program (LASP) understands that it is not uncommon for persons with disabilities to have heavy financial responsibilities which can limit their access to many activities such as skiing. Each season LASP is pleased to offer a limited number of adaptive skiing scholarships in the form of free lessons to students who can demonstrate a financial need and a real desire to learn to ski.
The LASP Scholarship Program is made possible in part by a Chapter Grant from Disabled Sports/USA, through the generosity of individual donors, and the proceeds from our annual fundraiser, The Penguin Paddle. All requests for a scholarship are evaluated on a case by case basis and must be accompanied by a completed LASP Scholarship Application. Please allow 30 days for us to consider your application.
We understand that illness and bad weather can derail even the best laid plans. If you wake up with the sniffles or get stranded in a snow bank on the way to the slopes please email and call us ASAP at firstname.lastname@example.org and call (716) 699-3504 to ensure we receive the message.
Many of our instructors travel a long way for lessons. Please give us as much notice as possible if you need to cancel. We promise to do our very best to reschedule your lesson but please understand that our lesson schedule fills up very quickly and this is not always possible.
*Instructors will use their discretion to cancel a lesson if the weather or snow conditions are dangerous to the student.
Our participants say...
“So many thanks to Bob and Colleen! You helped our son gain confidence and enjoy skiing with our family. He was reluctant to come this weekend, but we couldn't get him off the slopes when it was time to leave!”
“Just a quick note to let you know what a GREAT time I had last Sat. While I didn’t ski as well as hoped for, it was such a good feeling to get back on the slopes. Both Steve & Pam were beyond wonderful, patient & encouraging. Excellent instructors! Please pass it along & I will be making a donation to the program in the next couple of weeks. Thanks again”
“Want to thank you and Patty and Bob and Don and Tom for making Eric's two outings so successful 🙂 I am so amazed at your dedication and the time you spent to make it positive for him. Very special.”
How you can support us
Our team of dedicated volunteers help students get out on the slopes.
Your gift helps expand opportunities for sport & recreation to disabled children, adults, & veterans