AccesSportAmerica was founded in 1995 by Ross and Jean Lilley. Since 1983, Ross had been adapting and teaching windsurfing. He was also a trainer since the late 1970’s. When their son Joshua was born with cerebral palsy and quadriplegia, it was the incentive to redouble their efforts and adapt sports to inspire higher function. Today, Josh continues as AccesSport’s “official test pilot” for many new adaptations and teaching protocols. AccesSport is considered a pioneer in adaptive equipment and training techniques, recognized for its innovative programs and leadership.

From the start we saw the effect these high challenges had on our athletes and families. The success realized in such sports as windsurfing was a catalyst for discovering the compelling athlete inside everyone. The realization of being an athlete was and is incentive for more function and conditioning.

During the summer of 1994, Tony Chamberlain’s story, “Surf’s Up for Josh,” in the July 8 edition of The Boston Globe, reported on Ross and then eight-year-old Josh during their ten-mile windsurf marathon off Cape Cod. Josh was standing and windsurfing while leaning on his father. They were raising funds for Easter Seals. National coverage soon followed, on ABC’s Good Morning America with Medical Editor Dr. Tim Johnson and in major windsurfing magazines.

The journey then began, with commitment of a generous benefactor and several individuals and families, to build a non-profit organization. It would offer an innovative water sports program for children and adults living with disabilities and develop the adaptive equipment. A goal was to promote prolonged physical activity and exertion with sports “to spark the feeling that we all are compelling athletes reaching for higher function.”

The knowledge gained from adapting windsurfing easily translated into creating adaptations and systems for other sports. Hawaiian Outrigger Canoeing was introduced to AccesSport by Bill Yates in 1999. Stand up paddling was adapted into our program in 2000. We created paddles, stabilizing systems and methods to gain national attention for our expertise.

In 2000 we started our year round programs. Following up on the need to train for more function and conditioning, we created training regimens and game systems designed to energize and build up our summer athletes. We implemented programs in Boston Public High Schools for substantially separate and inclusive settings as well as personal training at the YMCA at Oak Square.

As time went on each of these programs grew and our training became more and more sophisticated while retaining our belief that every session could be life changing.

Our In School program now features in-person and live on line training with an innovative set up for 6 versions of each exercise (virtually) and sensory rich drills and games that include everyone as vital to their team in traditional team sports.

Our personal training program is now focused on Gait training at our gym in Lexington, Mass, featuring our patented TheraTrek, gait training device and system.

Today, our water sports and year-round training programs reach 1500 children and adults living with disabilities each year in partnership with leading institutions and organizations. A team of trainers, experts, volunteers, and staff are involved in the development and delivery of our programs. We continue to design and adapt equipment to accommodate all disabilities, and our athletes play a vital role in inspiring, developing, and testing our adaptations.

Key to our longevity over these 30 years has been creating program partnerships.

Currently we have partnerships with :

The Doug Flutie Jr. Foundation (watersports)

The Cotting School (Gait training site and after school program)

Camp Harbor View (watersports)

Boston Public Schools (year round training)

Brookline High School (year round training)

The Pappas Rehabilitation Hospital for Children (watersports)

The Higashi School (watersports)

Teamworks of Acton (year round tennis)

Harvard University (football and hockey clinics)

Guiding Principles

Innovative and effective, AccesSport’s year-round sports and training programs are designed to promote each person’s highest physical and athletic potential while cultivating cognitive, social, and emotional well-being. AccesSport seeks to:

• Adapt sports that the most agile athletes find challenging.
• Foster a positive change in attitude, esteem, and expectation for a life lived with disability.
• Build a community of relationships that lasts a lifetime — a community where differences are diminished, blurred, and often erased.
• Strengthen endurance and decision-making skills while building confidence and self-assurance.
• Expand opportunities by modeling the process of seeking and achieving hard-to-reach accomplishments.
• Experience a sense of unparalleled accomplishment through mastery of balance, coordination, and fear.
• Improve health and fitness, reducing the prevalence of obesity and associated health-related conditions and costs.