Technology and equipment. (Adapted Sports And Recreation).Adapted sports and recreation, a concept born in the early 1970's, is beginning to take a more prominent role in improving the quality of life for people with disabilities. The number of people with disabilities who engage in sports and other physical activities has increased dramatically in the past decade, due to the growing field of assistive sports and recreation equipment. Whether for competition, recreation or physical rehabilitation physical rehabilitation See Physical therapy. and development, the sports and recreation equipment market has developed many devices to encourage people with disabilities to participate in sporting events and programs. Before programs like the Special Olympics Special Olympics International sports program for people with intellectual disability. It provides year-round training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type summer and winter sports for participants. , most children and adults with disabilities, health care professionals, and caregivers focused on basic life skills, needs and comforts. After years of realizing that that is not enough, the trend began to shift to organized physical activity as both a recreational release and a way to improve and maintain the health of people with disabilities. The results have been widespread. ********** ABILITYFIRST AbilityFirst is a non-profit organization A non-profit organization (abbreviated "NPO", also "non-profit" or "not-for-profit") is a legally constituted organization whose primary objective is to support or to actively engage in activities of public or private interest without any commercial or monetary profit purposes. located in Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, that focuses much time and energy on providing adaptive sports and recreation equipment and programs for its clients. With its newest affiliate, MindBodySpirit, AbilityFirst has provided programs and services to people with physical and developmental disabilities developmental disabilities (DD), n.pl the pathologic conditions that have their origin in the embryology and growth and development of an individual. DDs usually appear clinically before 18 years of age. for the past 76 years. AbilityFirst operates a network of 22 facilities throughout southern California, including community centers, adult vocational training centers, accessible housing complexes and accessible camps. MindBodySpirit specializes in providing innovative martial arts This is a list of martial arts, broken down by region and style. African martial arts Eritrea
* swimming * basketball with AbilityFirst's wheelchair basketball Wheelchair basketball is a sport played primarily by people with disabilities. In some countries such as Canada, Australia and England, able-bodied athletes are allowed to compete alongside other athletes on mixed teams. team, the Los Angeles Stars Los Angeles Stars is the name of three American Basketball Association (ABA) teams based in Los Angeles, California. The first team, formerly the Anaheim Amigos, played their home games at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena from 1968 to 1970, when it moved to Salt Lake (sponsored by the Los Angeles Lakers) * drill team (adapted dance and aerobics team) * ski school * instruction in healthy living * joint efforts with the Special Olympics and the Los Angeles Marathon The Los Angeles Marathon is an annual marathon held in Los Angeles, California since 1986. It was inspired by the success of the 1984 Summer Olympics held in Los Angeles. The race starts at about 8:15AM and runs through Downtown Los Angeles, Koreatown, the Crenshaw district, and AbilityFirst community centers are equipped with accessible playgrounds, including equipment such as: * safety swing chairs with straps * wheelchair transfer ramps * swing bridges for balance and gross motor development * specially designed stairway play steps to assist with hand/foot coordination * toss ball courts * synthetic rubber mats under the playgrounds, to allow for easier wheelchair mobility. AbilityFirst pools are equipped with bell bars for coordination and movement; aquatic noodles noo·dle 1 n. A narrow, ribbonlike strip of dried dough, usually made of flour, eggs, and water. [German Nudel. that provide flotation support and allow non-swimmers to improve their range of motion through leg kicks; hoyer lifts; and walking ramps so that clients can safely enter and exit the pools. AbilityFirst camps are completely accessible through equipment such as mounting ramps for equestrian sports and bowling ramps that allow bowling balls to be released from either a standing or sitting position. The heart of AbilityFirst's philosophy is to encourage and seek to inspire individuals with developmental and physical disabilities to realize their full potential. "The MindBodySpirit teaching philosophy is simple," states Stephanie Ivler, Chief Operating Officer Chief Operating Officer (COO) The officer of a firm responsible for day-to-day management, usually the president or an executive vice-president. and instructor for MindBodySpirit. "We strive to create an atmosphere conducive to excellence and then we step back and watch the students blossom. The adapted movement program is uniquely designed for our very special students to teach sports skills, to foster success in attaining learning objectives and to create opportunities for positive athletic experiences." Adapted sports and recreation departments and programs have become an integral part of the offerings from adapted physical educators at universities such as Cal Poly in Pomona, CA, East Carolina University East Carolina University is a public, coeducational, intensive research university located in Greenville, North Carolina, United States. Named East Carolina University by statue and commonly known as ECU or East Carolina in Greenville, NC, and the Texas Women's University. Some city recreation departments including Pasedena, CA, Salt Lake City, UT, Carson City, NV. and Dayton, OH provide adapted recreation programs as part of the offerings at their community centers. All adapted sports and recreation departments have resources and adapted equipment available to ensure maximum benefits to the disabled recreation enthusiast. EQUESTRIAN SPORTS Equestrian sports have recently become very popular, as the technology has improved comfort for the rider. New equipment designs include: * seats that have velcro straps and leg bands with seat covers * saddle hand straps * seat cushions and seat rolls to assist with balance and stability * custom saddles * mounting ramps and steps AQUATIC THERAPY aquatic therapy Water therapy Rehab medicine The exercising of muscle groups under water, which increases range-of-motion and light resistance for rehabilitation. See Rehabilitation medicine. PROGRAMS Aquatic activities promote good muscle tone, lung capacity, flexibility and overall fitness without causing undue pressure on the joints and bones. Adapted equipment available for swimming includes: * flotation vests * swim fins * water wings * swim rings and head floats, all available to help keep the swimmer above water * goggles goggles, n the protective eyewear worn by dental personnel and patients during dental procedures. goggles see periocular leukotrichia. for eye safety * pool lifts and transfer tiers that help wheelchair users and non-ambulatory people transfer safely in and out of the pool Specialty swimwear is also available that is lightweight, buoyant and insulated to protect against body heat loss with full-length side zippers or velcro fasteners, so that dressing is more manageable. There are specialty wheelchairs, including underwater and beach wheelchairs, parallel bars to aid in water ambulation am·bu·late intr.v. am·bu·lat·ed, am·bu·lat·ing, am·bu·lates To walk from place to place; move about. [Latin ambul and moveable swimming pool floors and platforms operated by hydraulic lifts. BASKETBALL A popular sport adapted for people with disabilities is wheelchair basketball. This is a team sport and therefore promotes good sportsmanship. This sport also improves overall health and strength as well as increases endurance and enhances fine motor skills. Some adapted equipment for this sport includes: * spoke protectors * adjustable basketball hoop and posts * specially-designed sport wheelchairs that are more easily maneuvered WINTER SPORTS Technology advancements have also increased participation in adapted winter sports, such as skiing utilizing ski stabilizers; ski handles designed to teach the user to keep ski tips together; and a flip ski, or forearm crutch crutch (kruch) a staff, ordinarily extending from the armpit to the ground, with a support for the hand and usually also for the arm or axilla; used to support the body in walking. crutch n. with a ski attachment. Other equipment includes an all-terrain ski TD, a device that attaches the ski pole to the wrist, or to a prosthesis prosthesis (prŏs`thĭsĭs): see artificial limb. prosthesis Artificial substitute for a missing part of the body, usually an arm or leg. , and a four-piece boot shell device for skier's with lower extremity/mobility disabilities. For more information on adaptive sports and recreation equipment and programs, contact your local school or university's physical education departments and your local service agencies, or contact AbilityFirst's MindBodySpirit at (626) 396-1010. You may also visit AbilityFirst's website at www.abilityfirst.org. |
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