Elephant talk?
Can elephants somehow communicate locations or ideas?
Staff Writer asperrazza@oklahoman.com
Applause broke out as one man, normally wheelchair bound, got lifted into the wind tunnel, getting the chance to fly. His legs were tied together with two instructors on either side, but one wouldn’t have been able to tell this man had any physical disabilities, especially by the grin that covered his face.
That’s what fueled the idea of All Abilities Night at iFly, an indoor skydiving facility with 28 locations across the country, including one in Oklahoma City. What: iFly All Abilities Night When: 5 to 8 p.m. Sept. 24 Where: iFly OKC at 13600 Pawnee Drive
Information: 300-4359
“We started All Abilities Night at iFly Portland in the spring of 2016,” Jamee Homuth said. “Ever since I started working at iFly, I had a desire to cater the flying experience to the special needs community.”
This desire Homuth had stemmed from her personal experiences with special needs kids.
“I have a special needs son so I know firsthand the difficulty in finding recreational activities that are inclusive of people with disabilities,” Homuth said. “I wanted to design an event where the focus was on accommodation. I was talking with one of my co-workers about the idea, and we decided to take it to management. We brainstormed for about a month before deciding to just go for it!”
The event has seen major success at multiple iFly locations nationwide, and Oklahoma City recently hosted its fifth All Abilities Night.
“Some of these events were anywhere between 10 to 15 participants. I think we had one in Phoenix that had close to 70 participants, and then we had 35 here in Oklahoma City, which is really solid,”OKC iFly General Manager Evan Comer said.
For moms like Jennifer Joy, events like All Abilities Night are something to look forward to.
“My son, he has Down syndrome, as soon as he came out of the tunnel the first time we came, he said ‘I want to do it again, Mom,’ “Joy said. “He’s asked and asked and asked. That’s what he wanted for his birthday, that’s what he wanted for Christmas, so when I told him they were having one again, he was super excited.”
The appeal of indoor skydiving being available to anyone has attracted a large demographic of participants. Wounded Warriors and other veteran groups inquire and participate at similar events, and iFly reported that the oldest participant it’s had was 103 years old.
Parents like Joy and others look forward to the event, creating a place where disabilities aren’t a determining factor in what a person is capable of doing. And the smiles on the participants’ faces only confirmed that anyone can enjoy a ride in the sky.