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Essay on disability affecting sports participation
Impact of disability on sport
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Have you ever wanted to do something, but wasn't able to? Well that's what millions of people go through everyday. Some of them are specifically physically unable to do things because they can't walk. These people want to play sports , and wheelchair technology has enabled physically challenged athletes to participate in sports.
It may sound weird if it's new to you. Wheelchair technology? But it's actually a very complex,yet very interesting thing. In sports,you must move quickly,but in normal wheelchairs you move rather slow. Fortun et ly,with the special wheelchairs,they are made of light metals that let athletes move quicker and easier. Also,these wheelchairs come in many different designs for the many different sports. This is helpful
The Best Four Wheelchair Vans We Have Seen In 2013 It is hard to live with a disability, because everyday things become a challenge. A U.S. Census Bureau report from 2008 states that 3.3 million non-institutionalized Americans over age 15 use wheelchairs. The reason why there are so many people with disabilities is that the U.S. spent decades at war. This is why the mobility industry is rethinking the products it provides to support a growing demographic. Vantage Mobility International (VMI) and Braun Ability are two leading industry players that spent decades converting wheelchair vans from companies such as Chrysler, Toyota, and Honda into wheelchair-accessible modes of transportation.
As a future special educator, I found the film to be most enlightening in relation to the sport as well as the equipment with accommodations provided to the players. The safety design of the special chairs was fascinating to witness since it’s constructed so the player cannot be ejected. Moreover, some players were leg amputees and those chairs were also especially fitted for safety and comfort. For the teammates that had elbow or hands amputated, I saw special endcaps or gloves being worn so they could grasp the ball and turn the wheels on their chairs. During Cavill’s episode, I observed the therapy center and all the devices that are used during the rehabilitation process. When he was taken home, his mother was also giving a tour of some assistive technology (A.T.) that was installed in the bathroom and closet. I also noticed that during the Paralympics clips in Greece, there were runners with Oscar Pistorius' running blades. As well as A.T. devices, there were glimpses of universal design in reference to the special vans with the lifts. Overall, the documentary educates a lot about the actual sport and special devices used. However, its true message is to nurture a person’s spirit and not their
What comes into one’s mind when they are asked to consider physical disabilities? Pity and embarrassment, or hope and encouragement? Perhaps a mix between the two contrasting emotions? The average, able-bodied person must have a different perspective than a handicapped person, on the quality of life of a physically disabled person. Nancy Mairs, Andre Dubus, and Harriet McBryde Johnson are three authors who shared their experiences as physically handicapped adults. Although the three authors wrote different pieces, all three essays demonstrate the frustrations, struggles, contemplations, and triumphs from a disabled person’s point of view and are aimed at a reader with no physical disability.
In the book, The Short Bus, Jonathan Mooney’s thesis is that there is more to people than their disabilities, it is not restricting nor is it shameful but infact it is beautiful in its own way. With a plan to travel the United States, Mooney decides to travel in a Short bus with intentions of collecting experiences from people who have overcome--or not overcome--being labeled disabled or abnormal. In this Mooney reinvents this concept that normal people suck; that a simple small message of “you’re not normal” could have a destructive and deteriorating effect. With an idea of what disabilities are, Mooney’s trip gives light to disabilities even he was not prepared to face, that he feared.
Dylan was born with a tumor wrapped around his spinal cord, which was successfully removed however resulted in him becoming paraplegic. The first fourteen years of his life, Dylan defined himself by his disability. He felt ‘weird and different’ because of his disability and this was why he was excluded from his peers. It was not until Grade 9 that Dylan began to see that his disability did not have the power to dictate his life or set a limit to which he could achieve. Since then, Dylan has moved on to achieve phenomenal feats, namely, winning a gold medal at the 2008 Beijing Paralympics to becoming the world’s number one paraplegic tennis player. Dylan can be found wheelchair crowd surfing at concerts, advocating for people with disabilities and training for the 2016 Rio Paralympics. Dylan is on a mission to ‘mainstream disabilities’ and shatter negative
I began to wonder where and how therapeutic riding originated. In my research I found that therapeutic riding was not taken seriously until Liz Hartel, a Danish rider who had paralysis from poliomyelitis, advanced to competitive riding. Despite the fact that Liz suffered from poliomyelitis, she “went on to win a silver medal in the Grand Prix Dressage competition at the 1952 Helsinki Olympic Games” (Young). After she won this great achievement, an interest around the world in the therapeutic effects of riding emerged; as a result, therapeutic riding programs were established and studies were initiated (Young). I think it is ironic how a person with a disability is so influential in helping other people with disabilities.
There are currently around 16 clubs across the UK; the sport is still a developing hence why there is one club in Scotland, two in Wales and thirteen in England, compared to 58 wheelchair basketball clubs in the West Midlands alone. At the 1996 Athens Paralympics Wheelchair Rugby was a demonstration sport and in 2000 at the Sydney Paralympic games, wheelchair rugby was first considered a full medal sport and has been ever since. Despite the growth of the sport one of the major barriers is the cost of the chairs. Rugby wheelchairs are specifically designed to withstand collisions and cost around £3,000 (Roma Sport) and according to UK Sport, elite wheelchair rugby players have to replace their chair around every 18 months. Whereas compared to wheelchair basketball the chairs cost around £1,000 to £2,000 (Roma Sport) I have chosen to examine wheelchair rugby, specifically Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby, as I play rugby myself and I am interested in how rugby has been developed into a disability sport. As well as the development of the sport and the development programs in place for
There are many “tools” that could be considered for a student who has trouble listening and understanding instructions. Sometimes, just an adjustment of where the child sits fixes the problem or eliminates the barrier. Other times, assistive technology is needed. Today, the options for assistive technology are endless. In Samanthas case there were many options of assistive technology I could provide her with to help her be successful in the classroom.
As a young child, I remember how my grandfather's disability affected my life. I don't think that I even knew what the purpose of his wheelchair was. To me, it was just a toy, just another toy that my cousins and I could play with.
The people with disabilities are portrayed as hardworking. They have people surrounding them that are accepting and encourage them to do their best. The support helps them build up courage to overcome their disability. It can take years, but the effort will not be
“Every year around 4.2 million special needs participants attend Special Olympics events around the world.” (Special Olympics). Special Olympics gives individuals with disabilities an opportunity to enjoy participating in sports in the same ways as any other athlete. Special Olympics shows the accomplishments, skill and the bravery of the athletes. Athletics, through Special Olympics, make a positive impact on the lives of those with special needs allowing them to lead active lives.
I thought this was a great experience and opened my eyes to all the challenges individuals in wheelchairs have to face. Throughout the day, I noticed I had to go out of my way to find a path that was accessible for a wheelchair. Not only was it inconvenient, but at times it was physically challenging and required a lot of energy. The next day my arms were very sore. It was also difficult to navigate around the classroom, and I sometimes had to ask for assistance to move obstacles out of the way. A lot of the doors on campus were very heavy and made getting through the doorways a lot harder. Most of the time, I needed someone to hold open the door so I could get through to the other room. These experiences made me realize how important is it
Invacare Corporation is the leading manufacturer and distributor of non-acute health care products. The company designs, manufactures and distributes an extensive line of health care products for the non-acute care environment, including the home health care, retail and extended care markets. Invacare continuously revises and expands its product lines to meet changing market demands and currently offers over 25,000 home health care and medical equipment provider locations throughout the world.
Christopher Bidlack, an author of studies involving changes in the use of prosthetics in sports and contributor to sports law studies on Marquette University’s research website, feels that the reason this topic is relevant today is because the technology behind prosthetic limbs has evolved greatly, both in terms of design and materials. Because of this great jump in the quality of prosthetics, American sports entities will soon have to determine whether disabled athletes will be eligible to compete on prosthetic limbs(Bidlack). It is because of this approaching decision that many officials fear the change and outcome of either banning or allowing the use of prosthetics in the sports. Along with this “there is frustration among athletes, but also fears that a liberal approach to enhancements would prove controversial. Double amputees are increasingly running faster than single counterparts as neither leg tires and they can take longer strides, creating a potential incentive to have both removed”(Monks). Meaning that by allowing the use of prosthetic limbs in sports, a moral dilemma could arise regarding an encouraged amputation of both limbs in order to perform better in the sport. The safety of the other athlete is also a major concern for officials. With the design of these prosthetic limbs, officials find them to pose a possible safety hazard to other athletes on the field. One incident occurred when paralympic runner Blake Leeper’s prosthetic limb came off during the paralympic trials as he crossed the finish line(Rubinroit). Many saw this as dangerous to the other athletes on the track as it could possibly lead to their injury. It is clear to see that whether or not amputee athletes can participate in the sports sanctioned for able bodied athletes will pose problems for the future, but with regulations and changes to the
Assistive technology plays an important role in the learning process for individuals with disabilities. Assistive technology is defined as "any item, piece of equipment or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities." (Maushak, Kelley & Blodgett, 2001, p. 419) Assistive technology is very beneficial to individuals that have disabilities. For example, students with mental retardation benefit from extremely organized learning situations because of their limited cognitive abilities. Students who are hearing impaired, blind, or visually impaired may need differentiated pedagogical materials. More emphasis should be placed on visual materials for students with hearing impairments than for other students. Modifying instruction for all students, especially exceptional students, requires strong dependence on media, materials and technology and the right choice of these components to fit particular ends. Moreover, research has indicated that technology not only can be adapted for use with students with disabilities, but when used can enhance students' educational achievement and self-image. (Duhaney & Duhaney, 2000, p. 393) With this knowledge, there have been many new products that have been developed to help individualize programs to fit the criteria for specific disabilities. Through out this paper we will be disusing three different pieces of assistive technologies. We will be looking at Dynawrite, AlphaSmart, and Texthelp and the benefits of each program.