On a warm morning on the banks of Lima Lake reservoir, the shoreline looks different than it once did. Volunteers adjust seats and check straps. Families stand close by, some holding fishing poles, others waiting for their name to be called for bingo. A paddler approaches the dock with a mix of nerves and determination. Then, a gentle push from the shore, and a kayak glides forward.
For many participants, this is not just a day at the lake. It is the first time someone has told them yes, you can. That is the spirit behind the All Abilities Kayaking event, now in its third year at Ottawa Metro Park in Lima, Ohio, hosted jointly by the Johnny Appleseed Metropolitan Park District and the Allen County Board of Developmental Disabilities.
The event, held each summer across two full days, lets people of all ages and abilities paddle out onto the reservoir in adaptive kayaks, modified with floats on the sides to prevent tipping and specialized paddle pivots that support the weight of the paddle. With those adjustments, many participants who have never been able to kayak before find themselves pushing off from the dock for the first time, volunteers paddling alongside them on roughly twenty-minute rides. Those who cannot row on their own can be towed by a boat.
The kayaks were purchased by JAMPD using funds from a grant, a program that provides funding for public kayaking opportunities for groups that are generally underserved. The grant also supported the installation of an all-abilities kayak launch at Lima Lake in 2023, making the water more accessible than it had ever been.
"One of the core focuses in our organization is accessibility," said Lindsey Gallaugher, nature education supervisor for JAMPD. "Our core focuses are to enrich lives, conserve resources and secure access for future generations. So this is a very easy and obvious way to extend something to a community that is often overlooked."
It would be easy to assume that an adaptive kayaking event centers entirely on the water, but organizers have made sure there is something for everyone. Attendees gather under a shelter on the bank of the reservoir, playing bingo while they wait for their turn on the lake. There is karaoke, cornhole, fishing, and the JAMPD's "Beetle" van, part of the Bring Environment Education To Learners Everywhere program. Those who want to get on the water have the chance to do so. Those who want to watch can watch. And for those not interested in the water at all, the park has filled the shoreline with other things to do.
"Everybody wants a chance to try new things, and people with disabilities, we want to try things too," said Tammy DeLong, community connections specialist for the Allen County Board of DD. "Everybody should try new things, and everybody should have the opportunity to."
Jerry Hunt, a program manager at Bittersweet at Betty's Farm, has been at the event every year since its start. This year he brought 22 participants from the farmstead, which provides day and social recreation programs for kids and adults with autism. He said the event has become an anchor of their summer.
"As soon as the invite comes out, that's all these participants talk about," he said. "This is one time of the year that they really look forward to. It's not just that they love kayaking, but they love all the other stuff. It's the highlight of our year to come out here these two days."
The site of the event holds history that stretches back well over a century. Lima Lake is a reservoir created in the early 1900s to meet the city's water needs. Over time, as the city's infrastructure evolved, the water body and its surrounding land transformed into a public park. Today Ottawa Metro Park is the eastern hub of the Rotary River Walk and Ottawa Bike Path, and the lake itself is a centerpiece for fishing, kayaking, camping, hiking, and disc golf. A historical marker was erected at the park, noting that the reservoir that once served the city's water supply now serves its recreation and community life.
The Johnny Appleseed Metropolitan Park District itself was born from similar community ambitions. Founded in the 1970s through the vision of commissioners and early supporters like Anne Lauer, the district began with a handful of small parks and, through the years, grew into a system that now manages thousands of acres across Allen County. Accessibility, organizers say, has become one of its central commitments.
That commitment has made the All Abilities Kayaking event a cornerstone of JAMPD's summer programming. Each year, Gallaugher said, the team learns something new and makes improvements. The event has grown bigger with each passing year, and the organizers intend to keep building it.
"We learn something new every time we do it, we make improvements every year," Gallaugher said. "And we want to hold it for many years in the future and have it be a wonderful success."
For two days each year, under a shelter on the bank of a reservoir that once supplied a city's drinking water, a different kind of supply happens. Volunteers push kayaks off the dock, hands steady, smiles wide, as paddlers of every ability take their turn on the water. On Lima Lake, everyone gets a chance. Everyone gets to be a kayaker.