Sports / Recreation / Travel / Hobbies

Activities for a 12 year old in a wheelchair?

Margaret — Sun, 19 May 2013 23:35:01 GMT

Hello,

I am looking for activities for a 12 year old girl who is recently in a wheelchair. She is paralyzed from the chest down with limited functionality in both of her arms and hands.

She lives in Newark, NJ and does have a car and relies on public buses to get her around. I am hoping to find some fun events for her to do so she can feel like a regular 12 year old little girl.

The only thing I have thought of is the movies and taking her to eat. Any help would be appreciated.

Hand Bike Rentals in San Francisco

Krista — Sat, 20 Apr 2013 21:02:58 GMT

We are planning a family trip to San Francisco at the end of July and are looking for a place that will rent a hand bike for a day. Does anyone know of such a place?

Duke students create device to give people living with disabilites the chance to play sitting volleyball

JLo — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 16:04:27 GMT

Adaptive sports is one topic that is never far from our minds here at the Reeve Foundation. We've recently held several adaptive sports webcasts, have tons of videos on sports and recreation, have written profiles on athletes living with disabilities, offer a fact sheet on Sports and Competition, and much more... but here is one sport I haven't read a lot about, sitting volleyball. Check out this great story about a group of students at Duke University who are creating more opportunities for students living with disabilities who want to get in on the game.

Several Duke University students are thinking outside of the box in order to give people with disabilities an opportunity to play sports.

They have created a device that gives someone with spinal cord injuries the back support and stability they need to play sitting volleyball.

"It was something I wanted to try," said Carol Rogers who used to struggle to play sitting volleyball.

A spinal cord injury paralyzed Rogers from the waist down and made it difficult for her to play.

"I would have to scoot around on my behind and drag my cushion with me and that was incredibly difficult," said Rogers.

Read the rest.

What sports have you tried? Any tips and tricks?

Parking troubles

Thu, 11 Apr 2013 20:37:38 GMT

I go to the local Y for fitness, and the building and equipment themselves are very accessible. However, the handicapped parking lot is used by people without placards, plus often parents dropping off at the pool which is near the handicapped parking will block the driveway. There is not handicapped parking in the pay lot, plus there is no accessible entrance anywhere near that lot due to fences.

I talked to the Y and they said it is a private lot and to tell them if someone is blocking the driveway or parking illegally. The lot says "Handicapped Only" but they have not marked all the spots with the "blue wheelchair" insignia and "Warning - Fine" sign. And like in other cases, people will park on the blue lines or block handicapped spots and leave their car.

Does anyone have advice on how to get the Y to take the handicapped parking issue seriously? They do not police the lot and it is very dangerous for me and my children because people abuse the lack of policing. It also is very tight for wheelchair vans.

The funny thing is that the Y just got some funding from the Reeve Foundation, but it is for indoor facilities. Lack of adequate and safe handicapped parking will make it difficult for handicapped people to use the otherwise accessible facility.

Looking To Vacation In Miami

Jason — Thu, 11 Apr 2013 19:26:10 GMT

How accessible is Miami? Can anyone suggest any pertinent details to cover or plans to make regarding visiting Miami? I've never been. Are there wheelchair accessible taxis?

Tips for travel to Hawaii

Tracie — Sat, 30 Mar 2013 03:18:07 GMT

My boyfriend and I are looking to travel to Hawaii this year. We definitely want to stay on Maui for a few days, if not the entire week's stay. We both want to snorkel and I would like to parasail or go zip lining. I've been a T-8 para for 20 years but haven't done a lot with water. I really miss it and would love to spend quite a bit of time in there. I have no idea how I would access a beach. I've heard of beach chairs but I don't know if all hotels have them. I would need help getting from the water back to a chair. Do they have staff that can help me? My boyfriend has a bad back and I don't want him helping. I want to make the most of my time there so I want to see as much as possible without feeling rushed so I would like to know what is accessible for me. I appreciate any tips!

The importance of accessible playgrounds

JLo — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 20:27:13 GMT

This video comes from a 2004 Quality of Life grantee, Unlimited Play. At the time they received a $5,000 grant. While the grant was received nearly ten years ago, this organization is still doing tremendous work and shows the importance of accessible playgrounds!

[tp:youtube id=1js7Pre0PH8]

Are you a college student who uses a wheelchair?

JLo — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 16:43:48 GMT

Every student looks for a university that is just right for them, has most of the components they are looking for for the ultimate college experience, a school that they will be proud to be part of. Though this article was written based on UK colleges, the tips really apply to any student who uses a wheelchair when looking for the right college.

Here's just one tip:

Is the town/campus suitable for wheelchair users?

It may sound obvious but accessibility is hugely important. As one student commented: "The huge hill in the middle of Exeter's campus ruled it out for me as a manual wheelchair user." Accessibility doesn't just depend on your new town's landscape, but also on the type of chair you use. The thought of pushing myself up Durham's many hills fills me with horror but fortunately I have a power chair, which means I can manage them comfortably while watching everyone else struggle to and from the local shops.

Read the rest.

Are you a student, have you been through this? Tell us your tips!

Art Therapy Project

km14 — Mon, 11 Feb 2013 20:21:04 GMT

Hey everyone. I'm doing a project for my college honors class. I am trying to design a product that makes it easier for people with physical disabilities to create art. I don't know if this would be an appropriate place to post a link to my survey, but I would love your feedback. All answers are anonymous and you do not have to answer anything you don't feel comfortable with. Thanks for your time and help!
http://kwiksurveys.com/s.asp?sid=igxjwp9nniyib1090140

Skiing

a-t — Wed, 06 Feb 2013 20:29:07 GMT

Hi - I am surprised to not see a skiing heading. Just thought I'd make a short post about our local program, because it is only one of many.

Our ski area, Grand Targhee, in western Wyoming, is a small family mountain known for its friendliness and great powder. What many don't know is that it has a growing Adaptive Ski Program for all types of disabilities.

What makes this program special is how personal it is, how excellent the instructors are, and how much Teton Adaptive Sports will do to make sure everyone has a great experience.

Scholarships are available too to support people to get out and have fun in the mountains.

Skiing may seem like such a luxury, but what my husband has found, (C7-T1) is that his core, his thermostat, and his nervous system endurance have greatly improved, to say nothing of his overall outlook. He considers it an important part of his therapy.

Many ski hills have great programs. Their staff are well informed, knowledgeable, and eager to share the mountains that they love. Targhee even has a wildlife tour into the forest specially tailored to those who use a sitzski.

For more on our local hill, visit Grand Targhee

http://www.grandtarghee.com/winter/skiing/schools/index.php or

http://tetonadaptivesports.com/winter/

A-T

Skydiving & BASE jumping

Jenna — Fri, 25 Jan 2013 16:13:59 GMT

Hi everyone,

I wanted to share a link to a trailer for a film about Jarrett Martin. Jarrett started skydiving when he was nine years old. When he was 18, he severed his spinal cord during a risky BASE jump off a cliff in Hawaii. He survived, but is now a T5, complete paraplegic. Our film follows Jarrett through his recovery, and all the way to his participation in the United States Parachuting Championship, where he was the first paraplegic to ever to compete. The documentary also captures his first BASE jump since his accident, him flying a plane, attending college and offers a glimpse into his love life. Check out this trailer to our feature length documentary, titled Sky High.

http://www.newfangledstudios.com/site/skyhightrailer/

Tips for Airports and Flying on an Airplane with Wheelchair

Wheelchair Traveler — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 06:32:38 GMT

Here is a video I created that talks addressing the issues of airports and flying on an airplane with a wheelchair, which includes check-in, security, gate-checking wheelchair, aisle wheelchairs, boarding, and more...

[tp:youtube id=IrS7NROyRd0]

Here is another article on flying in a wheelchair and at the bottom are a few others including tips for power wheelchairs and packing.

Jamaican honeymoon help!?!

Jessi — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 00:43:23 GMT

My fiancé and I are both manual wheelchair users and our planning our honeymoon to Jamaica. We are looking for reviews and information on the best accessible resorts. Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Wheelchair Lacrosse

Mark — Sun, 09 Dec 2012 14:00:21 GMT

We are trying to organize teams for our annual post collegiate tourament here in Ocean City Maryland. The OC Lax Classic is one of the premier tourny's in the country. With the adition of wheelchair lacrosse it will serve as the true home of lax.
Pros past and present and former and current college players team up to make this an extremely competitive tourny. Lacrosse was a passion of mine pre injury. The organizer of this tourny is an ex team mate of mine. He is thrilled with the idea.
I want to try to drum up support. We need a minimum of 4 teams but know we can blow it up. I have contacted a couple teams but need help spreading the word and finding out who and how to reach team organizers. PM me if you can help.

Riding Horses or Equine

MikeyBoxide — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 20:39:00 GMT

Does anyone else ride horses or has anyone else tried equine therapy yet. For me it's more then just therapy it's a hobby and has been all of my life, so it was one of the first things I wanted to try out when I was out of rehab. I still couldn't move anything from the waist down after my first session but I developed a crest mount since transfers for me are fairly easy. The first few sessions went by and the muscle tone in my legs started to come back. A few months went by and movement in my legs returned. My quads are pretty strong, but I am hardly able to walk still with nothing below the knees working. I suggest anyone who has trunk control to give it a try. For me I already broke my back once so falling off a horse is the least of my concerns. It's also been emotionally one of the best things for me to ride my horses as they're a great reflection of our own emotions. Thats what I do for fun and it's the closest thing to running I've encountered since not being able to do so in over two years.