SportAbility of Iowa

AT SPORTABILITY WE FOCUS ON THE ABILITY,

NOT THE DISABILITY.

Sport and recreation are an important part of our culture whether one is a participant or a spectator. Historically, participation in sport and recreation was reserved for able-bodied White Protestant males of the middle- and upper-classes; minorities (in this case women, people of color, people of other religions, and people with disabilities) were excluded from participation in any capacity. Fortunately, things are quite different now. If you are reading this, it is likely that you have had the right to enjoy the many benefits of participation in physical activity--unless you're a person with a disability.

In 1968, Special Olympics was founded by Eunice Shriver to support people with intellectual disabilities and their right to participate in sport and recreation. However, most people with physical disabilities who have age-appropriate cognitive functioning, have not been able to enjoy this right that the rest of us take for granted.

The US Paralympic Movement has been instrumental in changing the status quo of exclusion for people with physical disabilities in sport and recreation participation.

Today, there are more than 21 million Americans with a physical disability…Research shows that daily physical activity enhances not only and individual's self-esteem and peer relationships, it also results in increased achievement, better overall health, and higher quality of life. However, despite these findings, most individuals with physical disabilities do not have the opportunity to participate in any regular sports activity. U.S. Paralympics is working hard to address this important national issue.http://www2.teamusa.org/US-Paralympics/Resources/About-Us.aspx

Unfortunately, many barriers still exist: societal attitudes and stereotypes, lack of organized programs, lack of trained leadership, lack of adaptive equipment and a lack of financial resources to purchase them.

SportAbility of Iowa exists to address these barriers. We provide:

• Organized programs
• Trained leadership
• adaptive equipment (no need to purchase your own)

And most of our programs are free!

SportAbility of Iowa also works to change societal attitudes and stereotypes by educating others through our involvement in community events and speaking engagements

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