A new off-road wheelchair known as “The Rig” is making the outdoors more accessible to students.
Designed to handle grass, sand and well-maintained trails, The Rig allows all users to participate in Outdoor Pursuits Program (OPP) excursions on terrain that would normally pose a challenge for some students with disabilities. It was made available to rent in November 2025.
UP’s Disabled Student Union (DSU) and Associated Students of the University of Portland (ASUP) held various fundraisers last year to make the purchase possible.
OPP Manager Kristen Jeffrey says that this new addition to the program's equipment offers more students the opportunity to explore the outdoors.
“We want it to be providing something that they wouldn't be able to do otherwise,” Jeffrey says. “If we could make every trip as accessible as possible, that would be the goal.”
OPP is currently treating The Rig like all other equipment available for rent. Students and faculty interested in checking out the vehicle can do so at the OPP office, located in the Beauchamp Recreation and Wellness Center.
While the pricing to rent The Rig is still being fleshed out, Director of Recreational Services Brian Dezzani says that the initial price tag for The Rig exceeded OPP’s budget for the entire year.
For Dezzani, acquiring a vehicle like The Rig opens up a slew of academic opportunities for students.
“There have been times where students haven’t been able to take part in the research because they couldn’t go to the site,” Dezzani said. “This would help support that.”
Shane Ruyle, DSU founder and advocate for the purchase of The Rig, said that compared to other options for athletics equipment, it is the best option for accommodating students with any disability.
“There [were] options for adaptive mountain bikes,” Ruyle said. “But we went with this option because it can work for pretty much any disability. It's one size fits all. It's not fitted to a specific body, and you can go fast enough that you feel like you're biking too.”
Jeffrey says those renting The Rig must learn how to use it before taking it outdoors, which OPP is ready to help with.
Ruyle's experience using The Rig took both practice and assistance from able-bodied people with assembling, disassembling and loading it into the renter’s vehicle.
“I will say the rig is a learning curve,” Ruyle said. “Its turning radius is really large, so on narrow trails, it's tricky, and I didn't expect it to be so hard and to take so much practice.”
Ruyle says renters should contact OPP for assistance with The Rig, research trails beforehand and encourages them to self-advocate for more options for accessible outdoor gear.
“I definitely encourage anyone, any disabled people at UP who are looking for something specific, to reach out to OPP and figure out what's possible with them,” Ruyle said.
Rieve Randall is the Living Editor for The Beacon. He can be reached at randallr28@up.edu.
Reem Alshaban is a news reporter at The Beacon. She can be reached at alshaban28@up.edu.
