SCI Forum Reports
Sports and Recreation
March 3, 1998
A large crowd of SCI consumers gathered at the downtown Seattle REI store meeting room to hear about sports and recreation opportunities in the Northwest and beyond. Speakers from several organizations gave presentations.
The SKIFORALL Foundation provides year-round instruction in outdoor recreation for people with physical, developmental, and sensory disabilities. The ski program offers all levels of instruction in both downhill and cross-country skiing, including stand-up, sit, bi, and mono skiing, and race programs. "We adapt all equipment to the individual," said SKIFORALL Program Director Kelly O'Rourke. Each ski session consists of seven weekly lessons, but "you can try it once to see if you like it," she said.
Cycling is the mainstay of SKIFORALL's summer program, which offers a variety of adaptive cycles, including adapted downhill mountain bikes, hand-cranked bikes, and side-by-side tandem cycles, O'Rourke said. Rafting trips, in-line skating, camping, canoeing, and hiking are also part of SKIFORALL's summer activities. Rock climbing will be offered this summer for the first time, led by renowned disabled climber Mark Wellman. SKIFORALL supplies transportation and equipment for its programs. Prices are competitive and financial aid is available to encourage wide participation, O'Rourke said. "We want all you guys to come out and play with us." For information, call 425-462-0978.
The Footloose Sailing Association, a member of Disabled Sports USA Northwest, offers year-round sailing instruction, cruises, day sails, and racing opportunities for people with a variety of disabilities, levels of expertise, and sailing interests, said founder and spokesman Bob Ewing. Adaptive equipment, such as special boxes for transferring from dock to boat, and rotating seats inside the vessel, makes sailing possible and enjoyable for people with mobility limitations. Membership costs $25 annually and there is a $10 fee per outing. Scholarships are available. For more information, call 206-382-2680 (email: bewing3@brigadoon.com ) or visit the Footloose Sailing Association website.
"Right now is the best time ever for people with disabilities to get into sports," said Robert Picardo, a speaker for World T.E.A.M. (The Exceptional Athlete Matters) Sports, a national organization that promotes athletic events and programs for all athletes, including those with disabilities. World T.E.A.M. Sports has sponsored a variety of large-scale athletic events such as a cycling trip around the world, a 1,200 mile cycling trip in Vietnam, and multi-day, multi-sport events on North Carolina's Outer Banks. Picardo encouraged audience members to pursue activities they really want to do. "You can have your own memories," he said. "You don't have to look at someone else's pictures." For more information, call 704-370-6070 (email: wteam@aol.com) or visit the World T.E.A.M. Sports website.
Disabled Sports USA (DSUSA), also known as Team USAble, is a membership-based, all-volunteer organization offering recreational and competitive sports programs and events for people with disabilities. Year-round activities include educational programs for schools and businesses, a health and fitness program that helps members develop personal training programs, amputee soccer , and therapeutic horseback riding. Seasonal activities include cross-country and downhill ski lessons, races, and festivals; kayaking and camping trips; archery; cycling; hiking; rock-climbing; rollerblading; and basketball.
Steven Stiens, MD, an assistant professor at the UW Department of Rehabilitation Medicine and a person with T2 paraplegia, showed slides from a recent DSUSA-sponsored kayaking and camping trip he took that included disabled and non-disabled participants. A man with C5 tetraplegia was able to kayak independently using an adapted paddle strapped to his hands with Velcro and a stabilizing outrigger. Kayaking is a good activity for people with SCI because "once you're in the boat, you're pretty much equal to a non-disabled person," Stiens said. For more information, call 360-676-0134 or 206-467-5157, or visit the Disabled Sports USA website.
In addition to the presenters, several other organizations had literature available at the Forum. For more information, contact the individual organization:
The Disabled Sailing Association of British Columbia, 604-688-6464 (email: tetra@istar.ca ).
AllNight Wheelchairs Quad Rugby team (in the Puget Sound area): Clark Landis, 206-364-3318; Tom Cusworth, 425-774-6814. For information on quad rugby nationwide, visit the U.S. Quad Rugby Association website.
The Seattle Sonics Wheelchair Team: for information on games, practices, school appearances, and charity events, call 206-281-5800.
Little Bit Therapeutic Riding Center, 425-882-1554.
Bellevue Aquatic Center is a new, fully accessible facility with a 92 degree warm water pool. Call 425-452-444 for information.
Free copies of the publications Washington Accessible Outdoor Recreation Guide and Guide to Barrier-Free Recreation at Selected Sites can be obtained by calling the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, 800-233-0321, or the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, 360-902-1234.