Event:

Event Description: 

Equipped with forearm crutches, a portable chair, and the willingness to take a nap on the riverbed at a moment's notice, Amy Denton-Luke shares her journey of finding adaptations, acceptance, and an appreciation for exploring the outdoors with chronic illness and disabilities. Through her personal experiences and powerful photographs, Amy discusses how she continues to enjoy rockhounding, her favorite pastime, while also tending to her symptoms, such as chronic pain and fatiguing weakness in her legs.

Amy also shares some of her work through Disabled in the Wild, including her tips for exploring, her "must have" list for adventures, and her 23 accessibility reviews for outdoor spaces in the Missoula area. She outlines what makes outdoor spaces accessible for disabled folks and why we should all advocate for inclusivity, equity, and accessibility in the outdoors, especially in a state where outdoor recreation has such a central and special place in its residents' lives.

Leaving behind the "overcoming" myth and ableist notions of disability as tragedy or inspiration, Amy advocates for a more balanced, nuanced, and grounded view of life with disability. Through this program, she hopes to encourage both disabled and non-disabled folks do the same. 

Presenter Bio:

Photo by Missoula photographer - Katherine Gundlach

Amy Denton-Luke is a chronically ill and disabled outdoors lover with a passion for rockhounding. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Anthropology from Montana State University Bozeman in 2011, and attended graduate school at the University of Montana in Missoula from 2015-2016 before dropping out due to a severe illness.

In 2022, Amy created Disabled in the Wild, a blog, Instagram account, and YouTube channel that focuses on exploring the outdoors with chronic illness and disabilities, with the goal of encouraging all folks to find ways to enjoy outdoor recreation within their abilities. She hopes to continue advocating for disabled people and finding ways to contribute to disability awareness in the outdoors and in everyday life.