Grounded in Experience
Bridging the Gap
Helping public lands, trail organizations, and outdoor communities bridge the gap between people with and without disabilities.
For many people, the outdoors is where friendships are built, families connect, and lifelong memories are made. Yet too often, barriers prevent people with disabilities from fully sharing those experiences alongside the people they care about. The result isn't just missed opportunities for individuals with disabilities—it's missed opportunities for friends, families, and entire groups to experience the outdoors together.
Founded by Joe Stone, Unified Dirt combines more than 15 years of lived experience, direct work with the disability community, and collaboration with public land managers across the country. Through trail assessments, consulting, education, and objective trail information, Unified Dirt helps organizations identify barriers, develop practical solutions, and create outdoor experiences that welcome more people into the adventure.
Because better access isn't just about reaching a destination. It's about creating opportunities for people with and without disabilities to explore, connect, and recreate together.
Beyond Accessible Trails
People with disabilities recreate in all types of outdoor settings, including wilderness areas, national parks, hiking-only trails, purpose-built mountain bike trails, bike parks, and multi-use trail systems. Whether the goal is exploring a scenic trail at a few miles per hour, reaching a favorite viewpoint, riding cross-country singletrack, or tackling a downhill trail, people with disabilities are seeking many of the same outdoor experiences as everyone else.
Unified Dirt works across a wide range of public lands and recreation settings because accessibility is not defined by a specific type of trail. It is about understanding who the users are, the laws and policies that apply, the technology people use, and the experiences a trail is intended to provide. By combining lived experience with trail assessment expertise, Unified Dirt helps land managers and trail organizations better understand how people with disabilities interact with their trail systems and identify opportunities to improve the overall experience.
Meet
Joe Stone
Joe Stone is the founder of Unified Dirt, a consulting company focused on helping public lands, trail organizations, and outdoor communities create better experiences for people with disabilities and the people they recreate alongside.
In 2010, Joe's life changed in an instant when a speed flying accident in Missoula, Montana left him with an incomplete C7 spinal cord injury. The crash resulted in multiple spinal fractures, a month-long medically induced coma, and a diagnosis that would permanently alter the course of his life. An outdoor athlete whose world revolved around adventure, Joe suddenly found himself learning how to navigate life as a wheelchair user while rebuilding his independence from the ground up.
