British outdoor brand Berghaus is adapting kits to make the outdoors accessible to more people with physical disabilities.

Through Berghaus Adapts, consumers can request changes to the brand’s clothing and equipment to meet their specific physical needs. The company’s product team, based in North East England, will work directly with them to develop products for use in the outdoors that have otherwise made accessibility unattainable.

The Berghaus Adapts program goes live today, February 3.

“There are 16 million people in the UK living with a disability, and lack of access to suitable kit is a barrier that prevents many of them from spending time in nature,” said Berghaus in a media release.

“For the last five years, Berghaus has used its resources to adapt kits for adventurers who have specific accessibility needs. The brand has worked closely with Ed Jackson, a recovering quadriplegic committed to overcoming adversity surrounding disability, and Mick Fowler, one of the world’s most respected mountaineers, who now climbs with a colostomy bag after treatment for cancer. Through Ed, Berghaus has also developed a connection with beneficiaries of the charity Millimetres 2 Mountains (M2M), which helps those who have suffered physical or mental trauma to reconnect with the outdoors.

“To lead on this work, the company created Berghaus Adapts. Together, the in-house product team, designer, and campaigner Alice Sainsbury have created bespoke kits that has enabled Ed, Mick and others to embark on major expeditions and achieve world firsts.

“In 2023, Ed Jackson teamed up with two other men with spinal cord injuries, Darren Edwards and Dr. Niall McCann, to complete an unsupported 138km traverse of Iceland’s Vatnajökull ice cap, becoming the first all-disabled team to make the crossing.

“In September 2024, Mick Fowler and Victor Saunders made the first-ever ascent of Yawash Sar, a remote 6,000m Himalayan mountain. Neither trip would have been possible without kit adaptations made by Berghaus,” continued Berghaus in a media release.

The company has also helped several beneficiaries of M2M to get outdoors as adaptive adventurers, including Charlotte Florene, Tom Carus and Caroline Pakenaite, each of whom has different and distinct kit requirements due to their disabilities.

Berghaus Adapts is now accepting applications from consumers to participate in the program. Berghaus has increased the project’s dedicated resources, based at its Sunderland facility in England. The company has added to a team that includes product designers, technologists and marketing communications support. Working out of the Berghaus sample room, they will consult with Ed Jackson as they work on consumer kits. The program will initially meet the various needs of a small group of applicants.

“This is such an exciting and meaningful move by Berghaus. Thanks to the work we’ve already done, we have proof of concept, supported by powerful testimonies from those who have benefited from product adaptations. This collective lived experience is central to our progress and the authenticity of this work. We’re now ready to thoughtfully expand the scope of Berghaus Adapts, including even more people with diverse needs. While the initial number of new beneficiaries will be small, by opening Berghaus Adapts to the public, we aim to change the narrative and break down the barriers that prevent so many people from accessing the outdoors. Ultimately, we hope this initiative will create an inclusive, welcoming space for all,” said Sainsbury.

Jackson added, “Quite simply, I couldn’t have achieved what I have done outdoors without the kit adaptations that Berghaus has made for me and some of my fellow adventurers. The journey that I have been on since my accident offers living, breathing testimony of the positive power of the outdoors, and what is possible, individually and with the right support. Berghaus Adapts has been a crucial partner every step of the way, and I am so pleased that more people are now going to have the opportunity to benefit from what the project offers.

“I hope that the Berghaus Adapts initiative will encourage and support acceleration across the industry in becoming more accessible as a whole, as ultimately the outdoors should be for everyone,” continued Jackson.

To learn more about the Berghaus Adapts application process, which closes on February 16, go here.

Images courtesy Berghaus