A framework for interscholastic sports for youngsters with disabilities.

Extracurricular activities including interscholastic athletes are a significant part of the American educational scene. Schools offering these experiences have a responsibility to provide youngsters with disabilities equal opportunities to gain the same benefits from these experiences as their peers without disabilities. Equal opportunity requires equivalent, not merely identical experiences in athletics. The First, Fifth, and Fourteenth Amendments to the Constitution require freedom of association, due process, life, liberty, property, and equal protection under the law. These serve as important bases of equal opportunities for equivalent experiences in athletic pursuits. Federal and state legislation, particularly that associated with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act prohibit discrimination based upon disability. Section 504 clearly emphasizes the importance of providing an opportunity to receive the same benefits from extracurricular activities and the importance of gaining these benefits in the most normal, appropriate integrated setting. Finally, as pointed out in an editorial in PALAESTRA (Frogley and Beaver, 2002), litigation (court cases), personal development, academic achievement, and moral issues also support the development of interscholastic programs for individuals with disabilities.

Although a strong basis for the development of interscholastic sports programs is clearly evident, relatively little has been accomplished in this area. This is particularly true at the state level where programs are organized and implemented for individuals without disabilities. Matter, Nash, and Frogley (2002) recently summarized the status of offerings throughout the country. These authors reported that, in 1992, Minnesota developed the first high school activity association in the nation to sponsor adapted athletics for students with disabilities. These authors then presented adapted sport offerings in Georgia in connection with the American Association of Adapted Sports Programs (AAASP) and interscholastic wheelchair basketball competition in Illinois.

It is clear that some advances have been made; however, it is also clear that much more needs to be done and can be done with the benefit of conceptual models that enhance the provision of programs. The primary intent of this editorial is to offer a framework which may help enhance the development of interscholastic programs for individuals with disabilities (see Table 1). This framework provides a variety of options geared to the needs and abilities of participants; encourages movement towards participation in the least restrictive, most normal setting; emphasizes sport rather than disability; and encourages the use of modern technology for implementation.

The first sport option is entitled electronic sport and is patterned after telegraphic sport conducted in the United States 100 years ago. Earliest formal recorded athletic competition in the United States for individuals with visual disabilities was a telegraphic track meet in 1907 between the Overbrook and Baltimore schools for individuals who were blind. In this meet local results were mailed to a central committee which made comparisons to determine winners. This option is particularly important for persons with disabilities participating individually or on teams participating independently from opponents and electronically communicating their results to a central coordinating organization. Team and sports events lending themselves nicely to this option include bowling; field activities such as the shot put, high jump, long jump; track activities such as the 100, 220, 440, and 880 yd events or even the 26 mile marathon; powerlifting events such as the squat, bench press, deadlift, etc. Once performance scores are determined, they are matched with individual and/or team classifications and further associated with age, gender, etc. With present computer and online technology, winners in categories can be determined and results can be available at the school district, county, state, or even the national level.

The second sport option is called parallel sport. In this option, sport competition involving persons with disabilities is INTERSPERSED with or conducted CONCURRENTLY with regular sport competition. So, for example, the 100 yd sprint conducted for athletes without disabilities may be followed by the 100 yd push in which one or more racers using wheelchairs compete against each other or against time. In some instances (like a marathon), individuals using wheelchairs may participate concurrently with individuals without disabilities.

The third option is entitled the segregated sport option. This is a relatively common option in special programs today. In this option individuals or teams consisting of individuals with disabilities only compete amongst each other. The Illinois wheelchair basketball program cited earlier, sports included in the Minnesota State High School League, or the sports associated with the Georgia High School Association model provide examples of segregated sport. An important point associated with this option is that the organization and implementation of this option is administered as a part of a state's public high school athletic association program.

The fourth option is a unified sport option. This clearly differs from the segregated sport option because it involves both persons with and without disabilities as parts of participating groups of teams. In today's school society, this clearly can and should be encouraged. When a school district or a combination of schools (intermediate school districts) are unable to or elect not to field an entire team of individuals with disabilities, the unified option can be employed. A separate sport program demonstrating success with this option is Special Olympics.

The fifth and perhaps the most appealing option is regular sport. In this option persons with disabilities are included in regular sport competition. Although some reasonable accommodations may sometimes be necessary and appropriate, often these are not required. This option is exemplified when a female who is deaf plays on the regular varsity volleyball team, when an individual with asthma wins the competition for the wrestling team, or when the goalie on the soccer team uses a prosthetic device. Although data are difficult to come by, this author believes this option for individuals with disabilities is the most populated--as it should be.

Selected References

Matter, R., Nash, S., & Frogley, M. (2002). Interscholastic Athletics for Student-Athletes with Disabilities. PALAESTRA, 18: 32-38.

Frogley, M., & Beaver, D. (2002). Is the Time Right--Interscholastic Athletics for Student-Athletes with Disabilities? PALAESTRA, 18: 4-6.

--Joseph P. Winnick

SUNY College--Brockport

Table 1. Adapted Interscholastic Model for Sport (AIMS) *

1. Electronic Sport. (Persons with disabilities individually or on
teams participating INDEPENDENTLY from opponents. Results are
electronically communicated to a central coordinating point.)

2. Parallel Sport. (Sport competition involving persons with
disabilities INTERSPERSED with or conducted CONCURRENTLY with
regular sport competition.)

3. Segregated Sport. (Persons with disabilities ONLY.)

4. Unified Sport. (Persons with and without disabilities COMBINED.)

5. Regular Sport. (Persons with disabilities INCLUDED in regular
sport competition.)

* Developed by Joseph P. Winnick, SUNY Brockport