A New Type Of Cache?

[+Team Maddie UK]

Ok I am just as guilty as most of you when it comes to placing a cache. They are not always handicap accessible.

I am suggesting a new cache type that is set up with handicachers in mind. With no new webcams coming out and the impending archival of locationless caches the number of caches that can be done by a handicap person are diminishing. This isn't fair to them!

I am sure someone at Groundspeak can come up with a format utilising the guidelines for rating caches and make a new cache type with a wheelchair icon for those with disabilities.

Just an idea I am throwing out to Groundspeak and the general population. All comments welcome

 

Lynn

[Keystone]

Cache owners are encouraged to use the available cache attribute for caches believed by them to be accessible to handicapped geocachers:

 

 

With this week's introduction of the ability to run pocket queries based on attributes, it's easier than ever for a geocacher with mobility limitations to search for caches that they can enjoy.

 

Also, remember that a cache rated "1" for terrain is meant to be wheelchair accessible.

 

Any type of cache can theoretically be "handicapped accessible" -- from an urban micro just off the sidewalk to an ammo box tucked away behind a stump at the edge of a well-maintained rails to trails. A puzzle cache can provide a huge challenge at home, but be an easy find in the field. Therefore, handicapped accessible is more of an attribute of the existing types of caches, rather than being a type all its own.

[+Jeep_Dog]

Many thoughtful cache owners carefully employ the "1 star" terrain rating AND click the wheelchair accessible attribute. Keystone pointed out the power of PQs sorting by attributes for cachers wishing to discern wheelchair-type caches. Unfortunately, users have to be Premium Members to run PQs.

 

I would also hazard to guess that hopefully soon some public/shared bookmark lists of handicaches will eventually be created by PM users.

 

If a basic member (or a PM looking for yet another way to sort), using handicaching.com is another method of finding wheelchair accessible caches. This site also has the benefit of allowing specific comments and suggestions of cachers through a rating system. A handful of cache owners use the terrain rating, click the wheelchair accessible attribute, and list their cache on handicaching.com (currently just shy of 2000 caches are alternately listed there).

 

To see how it all ties together on a cache designed for wheelchairs in mind, complete with the handicaching link on the web page, you can click here to visit one of my caches. On the page, if you click on the handicaching seal (or click here) to see that website's additional listing for the cache.

 

Edit: Handicaching also has a utility on their website called HandiGPX utility that allows users to select a GPX file downloaded in Pocket Queries to update with ratings. You can select to add the ratings to the beginning or end of the cache names. To add the ratings HandiGPX contacts this handicaching.com, fetches the current ratings and inserts them into the GPX file.

Edited November 3, 2005 by Jeep_Dog

[+Jeep_Dog]

Ok I am just as guilty as most of you when it comes to placing a cache. They are not always handicap accessible.

I agree with your assessment. I would just like to add that it is also difficult to find wheelchair accessible places to place a cache, which limits the number. Unfortunately, I have also encountered numerous caches that I believed were wheelchair accesible, with no mention on the page by the owner (I am reluctant to go to handicaching.com to enter my opinion, since I am not bound by wheelchair or disabled, so I believe my perspective on rating a cache as such could be awkward at best, terribly misleading at the worst). While I am not comforatable on arbitrarily giving a handicaching rating to someone else's cache, I am comfortable at attempting to take a guess on the caches that I own and for which I am responsible to maintain (if a handicacher makes a suggestion that it is indeed not, then I am more aware of the situation to delete the handicaching rating and modify my cache page or modify the cache).

 

Perhaps another cache type would help jog the thoughts of cache owners to review their type. However, the tools, as I pointed out in my post above, are already readily available on GC.com, yet still get overlooked. I would posit this is because many owners are not in that mindset or frame of reference when listing their caches, which another cache type would do little to correct.

[+Team Spike]

I am reluctant to go to handicaching.com to enter my opinion, since I am not bound by wheelchair or disabled, so I believe my perspective on rating a cache as such could be awkward at best, terribly misleading at the worst

Hi Jeep Dog,

 

The aspects that you rate a cache on on handicaching.com are purely factual. How far is it to the cache? What kind of surfaces? Which obstructions? There isn't really an interpretation, just observation. The rating you enter into the handicaching.com site is not a statement of "this cache is accessible" because who can determine that except someone who is disabled?

 

There are too many types of disabilities to fit under a "1 star" or "handicap symbol" type system. Even my wife's abilities vary by the day and hour.

 

Instead the aim of handicaching.com is to provide more information to those who need it. Rating a cache there is kind of like being an advanced scout, reporting what it is like.

 

The more people who rate other people's caches, the faster the database will grow and the more useful the site will become. I hope that helps.

 

Andy

[+av8ndv8]

Is there any way a note could be posted on the GC main page about level 1 terrain caches being wheelchair accesible? Maybe playing up the fact we have handicap accesible caches and encouraging people to place them and leave them so? I'm sure it would need flashing red lights and a siren to get people's attention...

 

We had to upgrade a beautiful level 1 cache to a 1.5 just because cachers would move it even though we emphasized it was wheelchair accessible, had a wheelchair attribute and asked finders to please put it back where ithey found it. I'm sure all were just trying to make it more of a challenge and had no idea about keeping it accessible. We finally tired of having to move it over and over and gave up.

 

Our handicapped friends lost a very nice, challenging caching experience because people would not leave it accessible. Wish it wasn't so.....

 

Hmmmm, just gave myself an idea involving flashing red lights - but on the cache page itself and a "hint" to leave it accessible. Dang, sometimes I just surprise the heck out of myself...

Edited November 3, 2005 by av8ndv8

[+Jeep_Dog]

Instead the aim of handicaching.com is to provide more information to those who need it. Rating a cache there is kind of like being an advanced scout, reporting what it is like.

 

The more people who rate other people's caches, the faster the database will grow and the more useful the site will become. I hope that helps.

 

Very well, then. I will do my best to increase the utility of your website by adding information on accessible caches that I have encountered.

 

It is a very nice site, by the way. While I have no friends or family that are disabled, I appreciate the effort and value of the database, and have obviously striven to assist in collecting data.