Thanks to a New York state grant and funding from the Noyes Endowment, Cornell Recreational Services is slated to open a new indoor adaptive high ropes course for the Spring 2026 semester. Located at the Noyes Recreation Center, the course adds to a robust set of accessible and inclusive resources throughout the recreation offerings at Cornell.  

The course will be the only adaptive course of its kind in New York state. Building on offerings at the outdoor high- and low-ropes course in the Cornell Team and Leader Training Center, the new adaptive course replaces the decommissioned indoor course at Barton Hall while adding equipment to allow use for people with limited mobility, including those who use a wheelchair.  

New York state’s Enhancing Supports and Services for Students With Disabilities for Postsecondary Success program provided funding for the grant. According to Emily Nester, assistant director of operations for Cornell’s Student Disability Services, the program helps degree-granting colleges and universities in NYS to enhance the supports and services they provide to their enrolled students with disabilities. Funds are allocated to SDS, which then works through resources on campus to purchase different types of equipment.

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