Accessibility in the Outdoors

B Y : D E N I S E V A S Q U E Z

My name is Denise Vasquez, and I am a Puerto Rican, Published Travel Photographer, Artist, Author, Actress, Producer, Promoter, Content Creator, Consultant, and Founder of The Disabled Photographer Project. I use my heART to create, share Colorful Moments, inspire, and advocate for diversity, equality, inclusion, and accessibility, because it is all a part of my being.

I have done everything from winning trophies in track and field, singing in choirs, playing the violin in an orchestra, dancing in music videos, performing on stages around the world doing my music, stand up comedy, improv, sketch comedy and theater, acting on TV shows, movies, writing a book, working on Wall Street, being a Dive Master/Rescue Diver, wedding consultant, producer, promoter, host, talent booker, to singing, writing, playing guitar, publishing and producing three albums featuring my music on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and so much more.

"I USE MY HEART TO CREATE, SHARE COLORFUL MOMENTS, INSPIRE, AND ADVOCATE FOR DIVERSITY, EQUALITY, INCLUSION, AND ACCESSIBILITY, BECAUSE IT IS ALL A PART OF MY BEING."

I was born and raised in New York City, but I left home at the age of 17 and have been traveling the world since. My story is a long one, but a good one! Here’s the short version. I turned 52 this year, and for me, age is just a reminder of where I’ve been and where I am! My experiences of living in New York, Scotland, London, The US Virgin Islands, California, and traveling to places like Japan, Germany, Italy, Ireland, Spain, Amsterdam, Liverpool, London, Wales…have led me to share my journey through writing, music, art & photography.

People sometimes ask me where do I consider home. If home is where the heart is, when I am outdoors, I am home! My love for the outdoors began at a very early age. I grew up in New York City, and was raised by a single mother, who always found a way to take me to parks, the beach, and on camping trips. The travel bug bit me when I was a child on my first plane ride to Puerto Rico! During the summer months, my mother would send me to visit my grandparents. My grandfather appreciated the gifts nature offered us, and would often take me around the island to the beaches where he would free-dive for conch shells, the mountains where he would pick Quenepas, and his favorite farmland area where he would pick up mangos that

fell from the biggest tree I’ve ever seen. I’ll always remember when he climbed up a palm tree, picked a coconut, cut it open, and had me taste Coconut water for the! first time. Colorful moments like these showed me how delicious nature is in every way!

My connection to being on trails, started during my track and field years from elementary school throughout college. We didn’t have tracks in the schools I attended in New York City, except for one that I never had the chance to run on because we moved from the Bronx to Roosevelt Island and I changed schools. I was usually training on trails in parks, and I am so glad because running, jogging, walking, and hiking, outdoors changed my life. It introduced me to the interconnectedness of my breath, my focus, my inner self, my steps, my body, and nature. Many people view New York City as nothing more than a concrete jungle, but growing up there, exposed me to nature, culture, and the arts. Living in NYC was really beneficial when it came to studying and performing dance, voice, music, acting, theater, comedy and improv.

My love for traveling motivated me to move to St. John, US Virgin Islands, in the 90’s. While living there, I became totally obsessed with hiking, scuba diving, underwater photography and learning more about the National Park Service. Many people don’t know it, but 2/3 of the island of St. John is National Park. One of my favorite trails on St. John where I would hike often is called “Reef Bay trail” . The trail features tropical forests, ancient petroglyphs carved by the Taino Indians, and sugar mill ruins.

Whenever I hiked the trail, I often felt a deep interconnectedness with myself, nature and everything around me. Hiking the trail always made me feel totally at peace, inspired, and happy. I had a very busy life living on St. John, so it was nice to find some tranquility on the trail. Some might think there’s not much to do living on a small island, but on the contrary, if there wasn’t an opportunity for myself and others, I found ways to create it. As an actress, model, dancer, production/casting assistant, I worked both in front of and behind the camera on movies, music videos, and commercials. As an artist I was hired to hand paint clothing, bottles, storefront windows. As a singer/songwriter/ guitarist I got hired to perform at the resorts, restaurants, bars, and once I got in the door, I included others by producing, promoting, and booking talent, in 6 of my “Ladies Night” Music Festivals.

After living in the US Virgin Islands for many years, I moved to Los Angeles where I held many jobs, including acting, music, stand up comedy, and promoting, producing, booking talent, photographing, hosting and performing in my WO+MEN 4 A CAUSE and WO+MEN 4 APPLAUSE comedy and music variety shows. I also worked professionally as an outdoor photographer! I loved doing photography outdoors so much, I decided to make a career move and focused my attention on doing it full time.

"WHENEVER I HIKED THE TRAIL, I OFTEN FELT A DEEP INTERCONNECTEDNESS WITH MYSELF, NATURE AND EVERYTHING AROUND ME.

I loved my job until I got injured at work, got lost in a broken system, and ended up being in a wheelchair for almost 3 years. I don’t like revisiting every detail of what I went through, it was really traumatic for me mentally, physically and spiritually. I want to live happy life, so I’m staying present, in the moment, focused on depending on how bad the flare up or chronic pain is. I can’t sit or stand for too long. Sometimes I can walk for up to two hours, sometimes I need to take breaks after one hour and sit. Sometimes I use walking sticks to help me stay balanced because of the atrophy that developed, I’m off balance. Sometimes I can’t stand or walk at all, so that’s when I use my wheelchair, which gives me access to places when I can’t walk. After years of being lost in the workers comp system, my lawyer helped me get into in a Pain Management Program which helped me get back on my feet. While in the program, one of my therapists asked me, “what is your dream job?” I’ve lived a life of helping others accomplish their dreams, but I haven’t really thought about my own dreams, for a long time. I dug deep, and decided I wanted to continue pursuing my lifelong dream of being an outdoor travel photographer, on my own terms, at my own pace. Being disabled, does not mean I am not able to work, do things, or accomplish my dreams. It just means I have to prepare more, do more research, and work harder. Which is nothing new to me being a Puerto Rican Woman, I’ve always had to work harder to accomplish any of my goals!

When I left Los Angeles, and moved to San Diego, I found another job working for a company as an outdoor photographer. positive things. But to make a long story short, I went to hell and back, ending up with a permanent disability, Achilles tendon injury, CRPS, chronic pain, atrophy, and more.

Every moment of every day, I face new challenges, prepare more, do more research, and work harder. Which is nothing new to me being a Puerto Rican Woman. I've always had to work harder to accomplish any of my goals!

" I WENT TO HELL AND BACK, ENDING UP WITH A PERMANENT DISABILITY, ACHILLES TENDON INJURY, CRPS, CHRONIC PAIN, ATROPHY, AND MORE.

While in therapy, I also learned about mindfulness. I lost myself in the trauma of my experiences over the last few years, and mindfulness reconnected me to my mind, body and spirit! It taught me how to be aware of myself, to slow down, breathe, to notice my thoughts, my body, what I’m feeling, what I’m doing, acceptance, how to be present and focused on this moment without any judgement, and that there’s no right or wrong way to think or feel! My photography has always been about connecting with the outdoors while capturing colorful moments as they occur, but I now apply mindfulness to my photography, and it has opened me up to a new approach that not only makes doing photography fun, but it takes away a lot of the pressure, stress and anxiety that used to come with past jobs of having to hurry up and capture those perfect shots! By incorporating mindfulness into my photography and outdoor sessions, I am truly happy because I’m aware, totally in the moment, and able to focus on my connection with myself, the person I’m photographing, and nature. I’m using my Zoom lens more now than ever, in a different way. Rather than get frustrated about not being able to have access to a place I want to photograph, I use my zoom lens to bring the place to me. Incorporating mindfulness into my mini-photo sessions, also makes my clients more relaxed and happier, resulting in a memorable experience featuring beautiful, candid, and natural photographs! Being disabled has changed my life in so many ways. It’s made me slow down, look at myself, be honest with myself, put myself first and make decisions based on what is best for me and my health mentally and physically. These are things I’ve never done in my life. I’ve always used to put everyone else first, that was until I got hurt. I used to work crazy long hours on my feet, and now thankfully, being overworked and underpaid is no longer an option. Bookings that would require me to run around, carrying a lot of equipment, in high temperatures or stressful environments, with no water or barely any breaks, are no longer options for me, and honestly I’m OK with that!

Being disabled has also changed how I get outdoors, hike, and travel. I’ve been visiting, hiking and doing photography, in Joshua Tree National Park since 1999, and it wasn’t until I was in a wheelchair, that I realized how unaccessible the park really is. Accessibility has improved a little in the park over the years, but there is still so much work to be done. I have two favorite trails, in the park where I’ve gone over the years to photograph sunrises, sunsets and the Milky Way, “Cap Rock” and “Cholla Cactus Garden” . Because these trails are not ADA compliant, the only option I have, to do my photography, is to set up my tripod, camera and chair in the parking lot.

Being in a wheelchair for almost three years showed me a world that does not accommodate disabled people physically, mentally or spiritually. When venturing to many National parks, State Parks, and Local Parks, I noticed that too many trails, walkways, restrooms, picnic areas, campgrounds advertising being “Wheelchair Accessible” were not compliant with the ADA Law which has been in effect for over 30 years.

One day I had an epiphany. Rather than sit around being frustrated or stressed about places not being accessible, I decided to do something about it. I saw it as my opportunity to take what life has handed me, and use all of my creative talents and experiences in a positive way, to not only help myself, but to be of service to others. I truly believe we all have a purpose in life, and I found mine. On a mission to bring change, I founded The Disabled Photographer Project and How Accessible Is Accessible series. My recent work with The Disabled Photographer Project has been focused around my photography, inclusion in the outdoors, and accessibility in The National Parks. I’m using my skills and my passion for travel, to create content for social media, write blogs, and make YouTube videos. I’ve also been setting up meetings and consulting with some of The National Parks to bring awareness while demonstrating which trails are really accessible and compliant with the ADA law and which trails aren’t. Traveling and documenting what is really accessible and what isn’t, helps bring awareness to not only the parks, but also to disabled people like me who love to hike, be outdoors and travel. Disabled people like me are often misinformed, causing stress which causes more pain, and I want to help others know what places are really accessible which also helps save time and money when planning trips!

www.hikeitofflife.com

New Styles Just Launched!

I love hiking, being outdoors and traveling, because I’ve learned so much by experience. I’ve learned about places I've never heard of, history I've never read about in books, how cultures really lived, and about myself! Having access to places allows me the opportunity to learn! We are all human beings, and we all deserve the right to have equal accessibility to the outdoors, hiking and all aspects of traveling, whether it’s to learn, to connect, to create or to be happy.

Change begins with awareness, communication, community, inclusion, diversity, equality and accessibility. Learn from disabled people. Listen to disabled people. Include disabled people. Consult disabled people. Hire disabled people. When having discussions, making decisions, writing articles, about accessibility, include disabled people in the conversation. There are over one billion disabled people worldwide! Feature and talk to more than one person or organization. When speaking about disability remember that one disabled person’s experience is not all disabled people’s experiences, and know that not all disabilities are visible. Thank you to all the people who have been including me in discussions, panels, consultations, and giving me the opportunity to share my story and experiences in articles like this! I was recently invited to be a Council Member at Joshua Tree National Park Association. If any of the National Parks would like to consult or work with me on their efforts to improve accessibility, in the parks, they can contact me via email. I am currently seeking partnerships, sponsors, grants, and ambassadorships.

For inquiries contact Denise Vasquez denisevasquezphotography@g mail.com

With every step I take, I Hike It Off by being present in the moment while trekking forward with purpose on the path that’s before me.

To learn more about me, my photography, The Disabled Photographer Project and How Accessible Is Accessible series, please visit my Official Website

Denise Vasquez Official: Instagram Twitter Facebook Fanpage

Follow The Disabled Photographer Project online: Youtube Blog Instagram

Denise’s photography has been published in National Geographic Yourshot, Canon Photo Plus magazine, About Town Magazines, Dreamy Magazine, Malvie Magazine, Fine Art America, and exhibited by the Southwest Environmental Center (Las Cruces, NM), Cleanwave Movement (cleanwave.org), San Diego Fair Exhibition Of Photography (San Diego, CA), Museum Of Ventura County Smith Pavillion (Ventura, CA), and more! Licenses are available at Adobestock, Shutterstock and istock by Getty Images.