MIKE BRAUN Woods must be available for all

A little over three years ago, I wrote about a Trumbull County man who was eager to hunt and fish and take part in other outdoor activities despite having a disability.
Jon Fairburn of Niles suffers from degenerative rickets. He has to put up with multiple stress fractures and other problems that make walking difficult in the best of times. It is nigh on impossible for him to get around in rough-and-tumble conditions without help or to withstand for long periods the cold and damp conditions that go hand-in-hand with many hunting seasons.
When last I wrote about him, he was seeking more opportunities for hunters with a disability in Ohio through improved access to hunting areas and seasons that now seem specifically geared for the able-bodied.
Changes in rules: At that time, changes in Ohio's game rules that were later passed would offer improved access at several wildlife areas. As passed then, new rules allowed the disabled to drive to designated interior areas for hunting.
For Fairburn, that was all well and good, but didn't really solve the problem.
He said that of the areas offered, several really weren't accessible for all disabled people. He has been to two of them that aren't.
"What happens when they get back there?" he said recently. He said that even if some disabled hunters could drive back to some of these areas, they would still need help in gaining access to the woods.
He added that during the 1999 hunting season, only those who were disabled AND required the use of a wheelchair could apply for a limited number of wheelchair-accessible hunting sites available in specific areas.
Fairburn, who is disabled but can get around without a wheelchair and who had hunted this area previously, was not eligible.
Disappointed: Needless to say, Fairburn has been disappointed by what is available in Ohio for disabled hunters as well as with the seemingly glacial pace of change here. He has experienced hunting seasons in other states and in several of them has found much more acceptance and assistance for those who need it.
"The past three years I have been involved in disabled awareness on a state level in Ohio and looking into other programs to see what info that may help me to get something started," he said recently. "Ohio lacks in this area for disabled outdoor hunting and opportunities, and I hope someday that will change. The truth is, the last three years have been a very tough battle."
Fairburn said that in some states, such as Pennsylvania and Alabama, state-sponsored and private programs give the disabled a chance to enjoy hunting and fishing on an even playing field with others.
"I have seen the good and the bad of it," he said. "Politics and the ignorance of some -- meaning the ignorance of not understanding the disabled and what assistance is needed -- play a big role in all this," he said.
One of the good times he experienced came in April 2000 when the Buckmasters American Deer Foundation, a nationwide hunting organization, took him on a special hunt in Alabama where he bagged his first turkey, one he has mounted on a wall at his Niles home.
"What they did for me truly humbled me," he explained. "I was never treated so well."
Need for improvement: But, back here in the Buckeye State, Fairburn sees much improvement needed for disabled people when hunting or fishing.
"As a disabled person myself, I urge others that are able or disabled to get involved," he said.
He has either met or written state wildlife officials, the governor and others and, at best, gotten polite "we got your letter" responses.
But Fairburn is seeking more, and what he is looking for isn't impossible, isn't a gargantuan undertaking and isn't outside the realm of the Ohio Division of Wildlife's abilities. What he is seeking is simple human understanding to allow everyone a chance to get outdoors.
He can be contacted at nofairburn@cs.com.
braun@vindy.com