Two Vermont adaptive sports organizations have recently announced their plans to merge. Vermont Adaptive and the Bart Adaptive Sports Center aim to empower people with disabilities to stay active. Their organizations promote sports inclusivity across Vermont. Erin Fernandez, executive director of Vermont Adaptive Ski and Sports, said that the goal of the merger for Adaptive Sports is expansion. "The whole goal is to make sure everybody has access to sport. And Vermont is a great place to recreate," Fernandez said. Fernandez said that the merger with Bart Adaptive will bring a lot more support to the program. She said that the merger will likely bring in around 300 new volunteers and predicted the company will be able to provide 1,000 more outings each year. ”By having Bart programs merge into us, we get to carry on their history and their legacy and celebrate everything about them, but bring additional support to their operations," Fernandez said. Vermont Adaptive offers year-round programs, which can be uncommon for adaptive services. In the winter, athletes can participate in skiing and indoor rock climbing. In the summer, they can participate in biking, kayaking, and more. Fernandez said that Vermont Adaptive looks forward to consistently bringing these activities to different parts of the state. She described how adaptive programs can be difficult to grow due to the high costs of equipment. However, Vermont Adaptive has many years of experience when it comes to introducing new, specialized equipment. The Bart Adaptive Sports Center Board of Directors released a statement announcing the merger on their website.Part of the announcement said, "Going forward, participants will still see familiar faces and will benefit from better equipment and even more program offerings."Vermont Adaptive revealed that the merger will take effect by the end of July.Both organizations have said their programs will still run normally throughout the summer.