A large amount of disabled people are abandoning plans for outdoor activity breaks due to the cost of living crisis.
Calvert Lakes, a Keswick-based outdoors centre who offer outdoor adventure breaks for people with disabilities, have revealed in a new report that 55 per cent of disabled people are avoiding outdoor breaks this year due to financial concerns.
The report also found that 93 per cent believed their decision would impact their physical health and 92 per cent felt it would impact their mental health.
The trust received responses from 423 schools, adults, carers and charities – covering thousands of disabled people across the UK.
Sean Day, centre director for the Calvert Trust said: “This research is extremely alarming. First and foremost, the majority of our visitors are disabled children. For children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities, outdoor physical activity has a fundamental role in their development.
“The Office for National Statistics has also confirmed that disabled people in the UK are being hit even harder by the cost of living crisis than non-disabled people. If disabled people are forced to cut back on outdoor activities due to financial pressures, their physical and mental health will suffer.”
According to the ONS disabled adults were more likely than non-disabled adults to find it difficult to afford their energy bills, rent or mortgage payments. They were also more likely to report being behind.
It also found that disabled people were more likely than non-disabled people to have reduced their spending on food and essentials because of their increased costs of living.
To combat the financial pressures facing visitors, the Lake District Calvert Trust utilises bursary money awarded by benefactors. This funding is passed on to guests where possible, enabling those who require financial assistance to receive a percentage of the total cost of their break.
Sean added: “Bursary funding forms an integral part of our operation and enables us to offer help to people with disabilities who without it would not be able to take part in the specialised activities we provide.
“With the cost-of-living crisis, demand is higher than ever as many schools, families and individuals struggle to fund that extra dimension to their lives that can make all the difference.
“Prices at the centre are subsidised by our own fund-raising efforts, but are still beyond the means of some organisations, families or individuals who would not be able to attend without the extra help from bursary funding.
“This has become of paramount importance in the current national situation. Our ability to continue to provide much needed respite, and a safe and secure place for people with disabilities to enjoy the unique services we provide, has never been more important.”
