Grounded in Experience
Bridging the gap.
Helping public lands, trail organizations, and outdoor communities bridge the gap between people with and without disabilities.
- Years of lived experience
- 15+Years of lived experience
- Miles of trails assessed
- 500+Miles of trails assessed
- Miles of trails measured
- 140+Miles of trails measured
- Land managers and trail builders trained
- 100sLand managers and trail builders trained
- Adaptive riders, hikers, and veterans with better access
- CountlessAdaptive riders, hikers, and veterans with better access
Meet Joe Stone
Founder, wheelchair user, lifelong outdoor athlete
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, a speed flying accident in Missoula, Montana left Joe with an incomplete C7 spinal cord injury. An outdoor athlete whose world revolved around adventure, he found himself learning to navigate life as a wheelchair user while rebuilding his independence from the ground up — and then went back to the mountains.
Why it matters
The outdoors is where people connect
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.
How we help
Field work first, paperwork second
Trail Assessments
Objective, field-collected trail data that shows how people with disabilities actually experience a trail system — grade, cross slope, tread, structures, and trailhead conditions.
Accessibility Consulting
Practical guidance on barriers, laws and policies, adaptive technology, and the experiences a trail is intended to provide — from planning through construction.
Education & Training
Staff, board, and volunteer training that builds real understanding of disability, adaptive recreation, and inclusive trail decision-making.
Objective Trail Information
Trail information visitors can trust, so people can decide for themselves what works for their body, their equipment, and their group.
Beyond accessible trails
Accessibility isn't one type of trail
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.
Let's make your trails work for more people
Tell us about your trail system, project timeline, and the experiences you want visitors to have.
Get in touch