In Hawaiʻi, the ocean isn’t just scenery, it’s a way of life. It also has a way of healing, and AccesSurf Hawaiʻi (ASH) is dedicated to making the water a source of peace rather than a limitation.
Launched with a few pick-up trucks and a lot of duct tape in 2006, ASH now offers over 50 event days per year, including adaptive swim, surf and outrigger canoe clinics and camps.
“Getting back into the water can be a big deal after an injury especially one that the functions of for example your legs, says Simone Schmid, AccesSurf Hawaiʻi’s director of strategy, impact and research. “In Hawaii, water access is a foundation for inclusion, and we offer the opportunity to rediscover the joy, renewal and freedom water offers.”
In 2025, ASH received a $24,000 Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Quality of Life Grant to expand the frequency of their swim clinic from quarterly to monthly.
“The water can remove mobility and environmental barriers that limit independence in everyday life,” says Schmid, whose father had an L2 incomplete spinal cord injury. “Our goal is to help people gain confidence, overcome fears and face challenges in an environment that can be challenging and healing at the same time.”
With grant support, ASH will host 12 adaptive swim clinics per year, with three sessions per clinic and approximately five participants per session. The grant also supports six in-person volunteer and instructor training sessions with an adaptive swim coach to increase the number of people qualified to teach swimming at a variety of functional levels.
“We want to build a train-the-trainer program to build capacity,” says Schmid. “We need to recruit and train a team of 15 volunteers per clinic and five staff, on average, to ensure adequate support for our programs and participants.”
ASH currently partners with The Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific for pool access to host the clinics and plans to expand to other organizations with ADA-compliant pools, such as the YMCA.
One long-time swim clinic participant with a spinal cord injury stated, “By practicing the techniques in the ocean and pool, I overcame my fear and can now swim freestyle confidently. Thanks to AccesSurf and its dedicated volunteers, I have not only improved my skills but also found joy in swimming.”
Most of ASH’s outreach is word of mouth from former and current program participants, staff and volunteers, as well as local hospitals and rehab facilities. The organization also hosts their signature “Day at the Beach” program monthly, which converts a large area of the beach into an accessible space, giving more than 150 participants and volunteers access to over 300 pieces of adaptive equipment, including mats, tents and chairs.
“We also have a huge social media presence,” says Schmid. “We don’t have a recruitment issue; we have a space issue. The Reeve Foundation funding will be a big help with that.”
Schmid was already familiar with the Reeve Foundation from a 2014 Quality of Life grant allocating $1,500 for ASH’s adaptive surf team. Four of ASH’s 12 current staff members also have a lived experience with a spinal cord injury, thanks to a workforce development pipeline that was built by Schmid.
For families and caregivers, seeing loved ones with paralysis build new skills and achieve their goals through the swim clinics brings joy and hope as they gain independence.
“The swim clinics are both a physical and social-emotional blessing,” says a participant with a spinal cord injury. “The weightlessness of the pool allows movement and exercise not possible on land. As a result, I am able to develop the skills and proficiency to swim safely and enjoy the ocean with the confidence to continue surfing.”
Another participant agrees, stating, “It was so much more than a swim clinic. It's water therapy at its best…encompassing my entire being with hope and happiness and fulfillment.”