OASWINTERVolunteerHandbookUpdatedOctober2016

OregonAdaptiveSports

63025O.B.RileyRoad,Ste.12Bend,OR,97701

info@oregonadaptivesports.orgOperationscell:541-848-9390

Office:541-306-4774AboutThisHandbookThishandbookisdesignedtoequipyouwiththeknowledgeandawarenessnecessarytohelppeoplewithdisabilitieshaveafunandsafeadaptiveskiingorsnowboardingexperience.ThishandbookissupplementarytotheOASVolunteerManual,whichcontainsbroadorganizationalinformationandpolicies.TogethertheyprovideessentialinformationtopreparevolunteerstobestsupportthemissionofOregonAdaptiveSports.SkiingPoliciesOASiscommittedtopromotingskiersafety.Whenyouareskiing,itisyourresponsibilitytomaintaincontrolofyourspeedandcourseatalltimestoavoidharmingyourselforothers.Youaresolelyresponsibleforknowingyouownabilitytonegotiateanyskislopeortrailandtoskiwithinthelimitsofthatability.SkiingRules• Whileskiing,onoroffduty,youmustwearandpresenttherequiredpassor

liftticket.• Treatskiareaemployeeswithcourtesyandrespect;obeytheirrequests.• Becourteoustofellowskiers;donotuseprofanity.• Ridetheliftssafely;donot“horseplay”whileloading,riding,orunloadinglifts.• Donotskifastincongestedareasorareaspostedwith“Slow”signs.

ObeytheSkier’sResponsibilityCode

1. Alwaysstayincontrolandbeabletostoporavoidotherpeopleorobjects.2. Peopleaheadofyouhavetherightofway.Itisyourresponsibilitytoavoid

them.3. YoumustNOTstopwhereyouobstructatrailorarenotvisiblefromabove.4. Wheneverstartingdownhillormergingontoatrail,lookuphillandyieldto

others.5. Alwaysusedevicestohelppreventrunawayequipment.6. Observeallpostedsignsandwarnings.Keepoffclosedtrailsandoutofclosed

areas.7. Priortousinganylift,youmusthavetheknowledgeandabilitytoload,ride,

andunloadsafely.Violationofskiingsafetyrulesmayresultinterminationasavolunteerand/orlossofskiingprivilegesattheskiareas.Accident/IncidentProceduresItistheinstructororleadvolunteer’sresponsibilitytodeterminehowtoproceedshouldaninjuryoccur.Ifyouhavemedicaltrainingorspecialexpertise,communicatethistotheinstructor.Asateamyoucandecidethepropercourseofaction.Stepstofollowifaninjuryoccurs:1. Donotmovetheinjuredpartyunlessheorsheisinalifethreateningposition.2. Communicatewiththeinjuredpartytoascertainthenatureanddegreeofthe

injury.3. Makesuretheareasurroundingtheincidentissafeforyouandtheinjured

party.Bevisibletoskierscomingtowardsyouandtheinjuredparty.4. Continuetotalkwiththeinjuredparty,providecomfort,andcarewithinyour

leveloffirstaidtraining.5. Asktheinjuredpartyifheorshewouldlikeassistancefromtheskipatrol.6. Iftheinjuredpartyrequests,orifyouthinkskipatrolisneeded,tellatleast

twootherskierstoskidirectlytothenearestskipatroltonotifythemofyourlocation.

7. Cooperatewithskipatrol.Theyareinchargeofthesceneoncetheyarrive.8. Focusonyourcommunicationswithallpeopleatthesceneonthesafetyand

comfortofthoseinjured.Avoiddiscussingwhatyouthinkhappenedorhowyouthinktheincidentwascaused.

9. Writenotesonwhatyouobservedatthesceneandanystatementsmadebyothers.Getthenames,addresses,andphonenumbersofanywitnesses.

10. Ifnecessary,sendtheinjuredpersonforappropriatemedicalcare.Iftheinjuryisnotserious,alocalclinicorphysician’sofficecanusuallyprovideserviceatalowercostthananemergencyroom.

11. NotifytheProgramDirectorimmediately.Providethenameoftheinjuredparty,natureoftheinjury,andlocation.

12. ReturntotheprogramofficeassoonaspossibleandcompleteanIncidentReportFormandgiveittotheProgramDirectorinperson.

13. Ifyoususpectthatequipmentbreakdowncontributedtotheinjury,preventitsfurtheruseuntilfullrepairsandasafetycheckhavebeencompleted.

WinterSpecificPolicies• TouseOAS’Mt.Bachelorone-waybuspasses,youmustpickupthepassesattheOASBendofficepriortothelessonday.Buspassesmayonlybeusedondaysthatvolunteers/instructorshavealesson.

• Ingeneral,allvolunteerswillarriveahalf-hourbeforethefirstlessonbeginstogooverParticipantInformationFormsandgetequipmentready.Theinstructorwillobtainliftticketsforparticipantsandvolunteers.Lessonstypicallybeginat9:30amand1:00pm.Volunteerswillsign-inuponarrivaltotheOASroom.

• Yourliftticketisvalidfortheentireday.Onceyouaredonevolunteeringandhaveturnedinyourbib,youcancontinuetoskionyourownpursuanttothetermsoftheliftticket.

• Onceyouhavevolunteeredthreedaysonthesnow(aftertraining),youwillearnafreeliftticketstartingthefourthday(foryourpersonaluseatHoodooorMt.Bacheloranytime)foreachadditionaldayyouvolunteer.ToredeemearnedliftticketsatMt.BacheloryouwillgodirectlytotherentalsticketcounterinSunriseLodgewhereaMt.Bacheloremployeewillverifyyourearnedticketfromtherecordbookandissueyoutheticket.AsperOAS’agreementwithMt.Bachelor,uptotwoearnedliftticketsmaybeusedperdayforyou(thevolunteer)andfamilymembers.Volunteermustbepresenttoredeemearnedtickets.InstructionsonhowtoredeemearnedcompticketsatHoodoowillbegivenatthevolunteertrainingdays.

• Volunteeropportunitiesthatareoff-snow(i.e.officehelp,eventhelp)existandinterestedvolunteersshouldcontactOAStoreceiveemailsregardingoff-snowopportunities.

UnderstandingtheEquipmentThefollowinginformationisintendedtogiveyouaworkingunderstandingofadaptiveskiingequipmentandterminology.A.TwoTrack(2T)1. Withoutpoles:Skierusestwoskisonly.Goodforabeginnerwhomayusepolesashe/sheprogresses.2. Withpoles:Skierusestwoskiswithpoles.Goodoverallbodystrengthandhighcognitivefunctioningarenecessary.B.FourTrack(4T;twoskiswithoutriggers)1. Fourtrack:Outriggersarerequiredforextrasupportandbalance.Forindividualswithtwoarmsandtwolegs,naturalorprosthetic,whoareabletostand.Tipclamps,trombones,ortheedgiewedgiemaybenecessaryifthereisalackof

lateralcontrol.Ifbracesareworn,theyshouldbewornintheskibootwhileskiing.Slantboards,cants,orheelwedgesarealsohelpful.Disabilitiescommontofourtrackincludecerebralpalsy,postpolio,braininjury,musculardystrophy,multiplesclerosis,orthoimpaired,andspinabifida.2. SnowSlider:Awalkeronskisisusedinadditiontotwoskis.Bestmethodforindividualswhohavegoodupperbodystrengthbutrequireextrasupporttostand.Tocontrolturnsandspeed,thewalkercanbeheldfrombehindortethered.Participant’sskisareusuallytipclampedtotheskisofthewalker.Mostskiersthatusethewalkerhavecerebralpalsy.C.ThreeTrack(3T;oneski,twooutriggers)Thismethodofskiingiscommonforamputees.Toproperlyadjusttheoutriggers,thegripoftheoutriggershouldbeplacednexttotheskier’shipjointwhenheorsheisstanding.Theskioftheoutriggermustbeoneinchofftheground.Thecuffsitshalfwaybetweenthewristandtheelbowwiththeopeningfacingoutward.Astheskierprogresses,theoutriggerscanbeshortenedtoallowformoreuseoftheleg.Peoplewithpostpolioorabove-the-kneeamputeesoftenfindthree-trackthemostsuccessfulwaytoski.D.Mono-skiMono-skiershavestrongupperbodiesandlimitedornomovementfromthewaistdown.Theyshouldbeabletouseoutriggerstomovetheskiontheflatsanduphillslopesaswellasliftandrotatetheskiwhileseatedinit.Peoplewithlowerlevelinjuriesincludingparaplegiaandorthoimpairmentsmostoftenusethemono-ski.Mono-skiersmustbeabletoperformthefollowingtasks:Trunk:Whilesitting,benddownandsitbackup.Twistbodywitharmsup.TrunkRotation:Whilesitting,pickupanobjectoffthefloor.LateralMovement:Resisthandsbeingpushedforward,backward,side-in,side-out,andupanddown.UpperBodyStrength:Thestudentshouldalsobeabletolifthim/herselfupintothewheelchair.GripStrength:Graspbothofassessor’shandsfirmly.E.Bi-skiThebi-skiprovidesmorestabilitythanthemono-ski.Itisequippedwithoptionaloutriggerswhichcontrollateralstabilityandassistindefiningthearcoftheturn.Anyonewhohasdifficultyskiinginthemono-skiorhaspreviouslyskiedinthesit-skicanusethebi-ski.Disabilitiescommontobi-skiersincludehigh-levelinjuries(C1-T7),quadriplegia,andpeoplewithsevereMS,MD,CP,spinabifida,andmultipleamputations.Bi-skiersmaybeabletoskiwithhand-heldoutriggers.Iftheyareunabletoreturntotheneutralskiingpositionwithhandheldoutriggers,theymayusefixedoutriggersandthecontrolbar(handlebars).F.SnowboardMostadaptivesnowboardlessonsemployastandardsnowboardsetup.Bamboopoles,skipoles,andtheadaptivesnowboardwithhandrailmayalsobeused.