SportsAbilities Adaptive Sports and Disability Resources

Angie Bersin

With Global Accessibility Awareness Day this month, we took a look at the most accessible cities throughout the country. The Social Security Administration estimates that one in five Americans is living with a disability, which can pose a specific set of challenges during everyday life. Although legislation exists that requires accessibility in public housing like hotels and university dorm rooms, the Americans with Disabilities Act doesn’t require all community features to be accessible.

Michael Ollove, Pew/Stateline

19 states to enact laws cracking down on people who try to pass off their pets as service animals. The push has been gathering steam in recent years: 

By Melkorka Licea September 16, 2017 | 9:41pm

Five New Yorkers in wheelchairs are behind nearly 400 lawsuits brought against small businesses for lacking handicap access.

Such legal claims have been criticized as part of a “cottage industry” of “serial plaintiffs” who target mom-and-pop establishments for quick cash settlements. But others see the suits as helping enforce the American with Disabilities Act.

Imagine a world in which having a disability was the norm, and the select few that don't, duds, experience the same condescending and patronizing attitudes as people with disabilities experience in our society.

Add Date here

U.S. Team Trials concluded today after round robin matches for the top eight competitors in the compound open and recurve open men’s divisions. USA Archery then presented the team headed to Beijing, China on September 12-17th following yesterday’s qualification rounds. 

by CHIARA SOTTILE

While advances in personal technology continue at a rapid pace, at times their designers seem to forget about the population that could perhaps benefit from it the most.

Rolling without limits

In Arizona, it is law that anyone with a disability plate or placard receives a right to park in any free spot legally. The new bill, which is awaiting a legislative process would, however, widen the rights of the disabled people and created a new category of spots which would be permanently restricted to the people in wheelchairs.

Petition-Dara Baldwin

H.R. 620 would create significant obstacles for people with disabilities to enforce their rights under Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to access public accommodations, and would impede their ability to engage in daily activities and participate in the mainstream of society. 

Unilad- FRANCESCA DONOVAN

Sex is one of those biological, universal experiences that throws out a whole range of emotions.

For some people, sex will follow a set of prescriptive rules dictated by what mainstream society’s narrow frame of reference deems normal – if there is such a thing – and if that makes them happy, so be it.

by Madeleine Osberger, Aspen Daily News

Two years ago, Kevin Mather received the “most improved” award from Aspen Valley Ski & Snowboard Club’s adaptive program, a nod to the monoskier’s willingness to get better, no matter what the cost.

Next week, the affable and outspoken Mather, 34, who coaches nicknamed “The Ginger” due to his coloring and temperament, heads to the IPC World Para Alpine Skiing Championships in Tarvisio, Italy, Jan. 22-31, for a maiden voyage into international competition.

by Cody Unser- US News and World Report

My lifeless legs were the first to tell me "I can't walk." My in-hospital catheterization lessons were the first to tell me "I can't pee." The skin checks I learned I must do regularly to monitor for signs of breakdown were the first to tell me that having a paralyzed body takes careful maintenance. But it is the flight of stairs with no ramp in sight, the building with no elevator and the doctor's office with no accessible exam table that remind me constantly, "Yes, Cody, you are disabled and living in a wheelchair."

George Dvorsky-Gizmodo

For the first time ever, a neural device has been used to restore locomotion in paralyzed primates. It may be years before clinical trials can begin for humans, but this latest breakthrough marks an important step in that direction.

Little Things

In the following clip from National Geographic, a simple experiment is conducted to make a statement to those who illegally park in handicap spaces.

First, a man posing as a disability van driver rides around town, looking for cars parked illegally in spaces that are reserved for people who actually need them.

dulcimerdude.com Blog

Sometimes, I do a slow burn when something really makes me angry.  Like the time this spring, when I got trapped in a public washroom.  While I did “share the moment” on Facebook, it took me the whole summer, AND a post from another blogger to get off my behind to craft an appropriately snarky article that you also could contribute to.

Tom McParland

Airlines lose and damage luggage all the time. But what if that luggage was your only way to get around? What if instead of misplacing a bag, the airline removed your ability to move about independently? That’s exactly what one airline did to my wife on a trip to Mexico two years ago.

Forbes-Emily Willingham

It was a day when the U.S. disability community should have been celebrating the progress made since the Americans with Disabilities Act was signed on July 26, 1990, and looking forward at work yet left to do. Instead, the world awoke to news of one of the worst and deadliest targeted attacks on disabled people since the Nazis decided to erase them from the earth. This time, it was in Japan.

The life is amazion

Today, we live in a world where modern machines do much of our work for us, which greatly eliminates the need for manual labor. Not to mention, over 34 million Americans have office or sales jobs, forcing them to remain sedentary for eight or more hours a day.

The Mighty- Kat Macfarlane

We need to talk about the bathroom and what it’s like to go the bathroom when you’re disabled. I’ll start:  my name is Katherine, and I’m a mobility-impaired woman who has rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Thanks to RA, it’s been about six years since I could comfortably use a bathroom stall that doesn’t have metal handrails attached to its inside walls. A stall without handrails scares me. I have no problem swinging a bathroom stall open. But an accessible bathroom isn’t just one I can get into — it’s also one I can get out of.  And I can’t get off a toilet and out of a bathroom unless there are handrails within my reach.

http://themighty.com/2016/06/why-people-without-disabilities-shouldnt-use-the-accessible-bathroom/

Nathan Clark-MLive

A wheelchair ramp built for a child who was injured in a hit and run in front of his home was condemned Saturday, June 4 by Parma Township for not meeting building code.

A township building inspector along with township Supervisor Wendy Chamberlain visited 4-year-old Mason Llyod's home Saturday morning to inspect a wheelchair ramp built for the boy and condemned it for not meeting code for both the American with Disabilities Act and state building code.

Sarah Blahovec-Huffington Post

To be honest, I was really hoping that what I’m about to write was common knowledge by now. I really wish that society in general understood disability better, but in light of a number of concerning articles recently, from a USA Today article about people “faking” disability during travel, to a New York Times Magazine articleabout parents stunting the growth of disabled children through estrogen treatments, it seems necessary to counter the basic inaccurate beliefs people have about disability and those who live with it. Below are a few of the most popular myths, along with suggested reading on each topic.

Haley Goldberg-Self

When Emily Ladau, 24, picked up a copy of the bestselling book Me Before You by Jojo Moyes, she knew it would be an emotional read. The book—which was adapted into a movie that hits theaters on June 3—advertises itself as a “heartbreakingly romantic novel.” Here’s the plot of the movie (spoilers ahead): Will Traynor, a 35-year-old former thrill-seeker with a spinal cord injury (SCI), falls in love with his quirky twenty-something caregiver Louisa Clark, only to break her heart by committing assisted suicide, believing his new life as a quadriplegic isn’t worth living. It’s sold over six million copies since its 2012 release.

By KJ DELL'ANTONIA

Jana Serge remembers her father pushing her wheelchair into a men’s room in the late 1970s. “Close your eyes,” he would say, as he quickly wheeled her toward the stalls.

50 shades of sun

Restrooms or toilets provided for people with disabilities often fail to live up to the promises they appear to make. Probably, this is more to do with lack of planning and foresight but also may be influenced by available space. Too often, though, it might be due to finances.

Aviation Pros- Erin Tracy

Modesto resident Barbara Ball and her husband have traveled extensively: Greece, France, Italy, the Bahamas and all over the United States, to name a few.

She feels fortunate to have visited so many places before a blood clot in her right leg led to its amputation five years ago.

Ball now has a prosthetic but spent a few months in a wheelchair during rehab. So it struck a chord when she heard about her friend's brother, a double amputee in a wheelchair living in South Carolina, who can't fly to Modesto to visit because he can't access the onboard restrooms.

Curb Free with Cory Lee

If you’re like me, you don’t like something like a wheelchair slowing you down. Whether you’re a world-class traveler or just starting to explore the big blue globe, you can hop on a jet plane and take your chair with you so you don’t miss a beat. There are some things you have to see to first, though. If you don’t take precautions, your wheels can get pretty mangled during the flight – and nothing puts a damper on a trip quite like not being able to get around. Whether you’re in economy class, business class or on a private jet charter, all of these tips are imperative. Check out these tips to help ensure your chair arrives at your destination as safely as you do.

The Denver Channel

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) admits agents "did not follow correct screening protocols" with Colorado's six-time Olympic gold medal winning swimmer Amy Van Dyken-Rouen.

Van Dyken-Rouen says TSA agents at Denver International Airport humiliated her.

CBS4 Denver

There’s a renewed effort to regulate what is and what is not a service dog, and pet owners who pretend their pet is a service dog could be fined.

Gina Schuh-Pushliving.com

I went with my boyfriend to Costco yesterday, but before we started shopping I needed to stop by the bathroom. Besides having to use my wheelchair, another condition of my SCI is when I gotta go, I gotta go. I need to pee fairly quickly so I don’t have any issues, and by issues I mean piss myself. Yup, I said it. It is what it is.

Tiffiny Carlson

No matter the type of person, there are lessons to be learned from them. People with disabilities are especially influential, as our hardships in life aren’t easily forgotten. We go through every day with determination and strength, which many people are bowled over by, with many secretly wondering if they could do the same thing.

by Caley Farinas and Creigh Farinas

When I was in middle school, my family started going to an autism support group. Well, I say “family,” but in reality, my sister Creigh was going for her high school volunteer hours and kept dragging my mother and me along.

Creigh seemed to think that, because she was my sibling and I’m Autistic, it was her responsibility to show support for me and other autistic people by going to these meetings and guilting my mother and me into going, too.

Christopher Elliott, USA Today

Let's talk about travelers who feign injury, illness and even death in order to get preferential treatment.

Let's talk about the fakers.

When travel companies, and particularly airlines, announce restrictive new policies almost daily, it's no wonder the frequent liars are everywhere. As the busy spring break travel season begins to heat up, maybe it's time to start asking hard questions about these charlatans

Barbara J. King

"If you 'see the person not the disability' you're only getting half the picture. Broaden your perspective. You might be surprised by everything you've missed. DISABLED. ‪#‎SayTheWord"

Dallon Adams-The Rooster

On the bus. At the bar. At the dentist’s office. Adorably shitting on your shoe on the plane. It doesn’t matter where in Colorado you are, we’ve all been in this situation: some entitled individual wants to bring their pet along with them and justifies the move by simply pulling the “service animal” card. That teacup poodle or iguana-on-a-leash is no service animal, and that owner ought to be ashamed of themselves. 

Sarah Boesveld

When he cut off his right arm with a “very sharp power tool,” a man who now calls himself One Hand Jason let everyone believe it was an accident.

But he had for months tried different means of cutting and crushing the limb that never quite felt like his own, training himself on first aid so he wouldn’t bleed to death, even practicing on animal parts sourced from a butcher.

Shareably

Woman in Ohio asked her neighbor not to park in her handicap parking space. The neighbor proceeded to respond with the most shocking letter ever.

“Hey handicap,” the letter begins. “First, never place your hands on my car again! Second, honey you ain’t the only one with ‘struggles.’ You want pity go to a one leg support group!”

Janice Lintz

In December, Preet Bharara, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, sent a letter to the York City Department of Education stating, "the City is still not fully compliant, and children with disabilities and their families are being denied the right to equal access to a public school education."(1) This is not news to people with disabilities. Schools and companies often treat the ADA as a mere suggestion despite its enactment 25 years ago.

Dwayne Bevil-Orlando Sentinal

For two decades, Wheeler Clemons has spent days in a wheelchair. On Friday morning, he was lifted from the chair to fly — wide-eyed and yelling "Woo-hoo" — over a marsh populated with more than 100 watchful alligators.

Clemons was the first official participant on the Gator Gauntlet, a specially designed, disability-enabled zip line at Gatorland, longtime animal attraction in south Orlando.

Erik Kondo Video

Here is a video compilation showcasing the awesome things that people are doing in a wheelchair.

Dristin Duquette & Dr. Mary Hums- The Blog

The Americans with Disabilities Act celebrated its 25th year of coming into law last month, and while it has changed countless lives, it has become apparent that inclusion loopholes still exist.

The ADA was designed to have people with disabilities become viable and authentic citizens within the United States, but access to resources are still denied and the disability community continues to fight for basic civil rights.

Christina Tenhundfeld- Simplemost

In December of 2015, the Courtyard Muncie at Horizon Convention Center (in Indiana) is the first of it’s kind: a hotel with a training institute designed specifically for persons with disabilities.

Rebecca Moller-Cosmopolitan

12 Things You Should Know Before Dating a Girl in a Wheelchair

www.blogs.va.gov

The Department of Veterans Affairs is revising its regulation regarding the presence of animals on VA property.

Previous VA regulation authorized the presence of seeing-eye dogs on VA property and other animals at the discretion of a VA facility head. The updated regulation will ensure VA practices remain consistent with applicable federal law. It will also assist those entering and working at VA facilities in developing a clear and consistent understanding of the criteria governing facility access for service animals.

Sara Bliss

When British vlogger Jordan Bone was battling depression, she found help in an unexpected place — YouTube.  At age 15, Jordan was the victim of a terrible car accident. She got into a car of a friend, he started speeding, and five minutes later, the car flipped, breaking Jordan’s neck. She was left tetraplegic — she lost the ability to move her hands and legs.

WFAA 8 ABC

Dallas Police are seeking the public’s assistance in locating the suspects responsible for stealing a trailer full of adaptive sports equipment from a storage unit earlier this month.

Bicycling- Molly Hurford

Cyclocross is a hugely fun sport for racers and spectators alike. And during the Mile High Urban CX Chaos (MUCCY) race, everyone can participate: MUCCY is open to all kinds of adaptive bikes and focuses on racers with special needs.

Emily Ladau - Huffington Post

Activities meant to simulate the experience of disability are so often lauded as moving, powerful, eye-opening experiences. With just a few hours in a wheelchair, wearing earplugs, or wearing a blindfold, people supposedly gain a deeper understanding of what life with a disability truly entails. I, for one, don't buy it.

Roland Reznik- Smartchair

Wheelchair users hear plenty of comments throughout their daily lives in public. While some comments are made innocently enough, it shows the lack of knowledge in society regarding wheelchair users. People hear about myths or just don’t know much about life in a wheelchair. Below is a list of specific things wheelchair users hate hearing.

CBS 58

Milwaukee County -

Every time it snows their daily routine has to change. People with disabilities say that's because even though sidewalks are plowed, the corner cross walks are not.

TurnTo10 News

CRANSTON, R.I. — A disabled woman was recently unable to enter her parked car because another vehicle illegally parked next to her.

TeamUSA

Paralympic Archer Matt Stutzman Breaks (His Own) World Record For Farthest Accurate Shot

It is hard not to be impressed by Olympic archery – shooting a target 70 meters (about 77 yards) away, and hitting the gold, which is about the size of a CD. But then there’s Matt Stutzman, known around the world as the ever-inspirational “Armless Archer” who shoots using his feet.

Claiming Crip

We need to talk about Kylie Jenner posing on the cover of Interview Magazine in a wheelchair. We need to realize that this is not a simple conversation. I cannot talk about Kylie Jenner posing in a wheelchair in a simple way, because this conversation is anything but simple. This is not just about whether it is okay for able-bodied people to use mobility aids and disability as edgy props to shock people. No, this is about so much more.

Barrier-Free Travels

Although I generally direct my tips to consumers, I’m going to change things up a bit and reach out to folks in customer service today. Lately there has been a lot of buzz about “fake” service animals, otherwise known as pets. And to be honest, the fakers really do a huge disservice to people who have legitimate service animals.

Adrienne Barlow

FREQUENTLY I’m asked why I’m an advocate for inclusion to sports. Mostly it is because I may use a wheelchair. But I do not see myself as disabled. I may see myself as having physical challenges, but don’t ever “dis” my abilities.

In an effort to gain and maintain access to the only accessible tennis courts in my community, I encountered opposition at our local parks and recreation board. Often alone as the voice of inclusion in my small but affluent community of Gig Harbor, I have encountered adversity and public displays of opposition.

Megan Totka, Chamberofcommerce.com

If historians give this period a label, they might call it the “Startup Era.” In earlier times, most startup news was relegated to the business pages of your local newspaper orThe Wall Street Journal, today a wide variety of startups make it into the front-page headlines.

And some of the most notable startups in recent years have been in the transportation industry: think Uber and Lyft, for two familiar examples.

Lenny Cohen-WCYB.com

A plan to build a wheelchair ramp outside the Virginia Executive Mansion is turning into a tussle between Gov. Terry McAuliffe and former first lady Roxane Gilmore.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reports that Gilmore, the wife of former governor and current Republican presidential candidate Jim Gilmore, has circulated a letter among historic preservationists in which she characterizes the planned ramp as unnecessarily intrusive on the nation's oldest continuously occupied governor's residence.

Zachary Fenell, the Mobility Resource

Discussing disabilities may feel like trying to avoid metaphorical tripwires.

One innocent misstep and an able-bodied person may receive a tongue lashing just for saying “handicap vehicle” instead of “wheelchair accessible vehicle.”

To help you sidestep situations like the one above, note the following tips when discussing disabilities.

The Mighty

Comedy site Funny or Die uploaded a video on Nov. 5 titled “James Bond Sensitivity Training with Jane Seymour,” which shows actor Daniel Craig, in character as James Bond, being “summoned to MI6 headquarters for an HR-mandated handicap and disability sensitivity training.”

NBC 9 News

At Red Rocks Amphitheatre, able-bodied people have found ways to buy the front row seats reserved for people with disabilities.

Lifenews-Sarah Zagorski

Jennifer Bricker wanted to be a gymnast; but there was one problem, she was born without legs. This tragic birth defect caused her biological parents to abandon her in Romania the day she was born. An American family, Gerald and Sharon Bricker, adopted Jennifer and raised her in a small town in Illinois.

Amy Willis for Metro.co.uk

This is Corporal Temur Dadiani, a soldier injured in Afghanistan four years ago.

The 23-year-old, from Georgia, lost both his legs after stepping on a landmine while serving on a mission in Helmand Province with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).

Tim Bergsten- Colorado Springs Independent

Drew Wills found new life somewhere along a ribbon of highway skirting the rim of the Black Canyon in western Colorado.

It wasn't easy that day, pedaling a three-wheeled handcycle up and over tall mountains in the 2005 Tour of Colorado, a 400-mile supported cycling adventure. The muscles in his arms and shoulders protested every turn of the crank.

The Mighty

Life is full of awkward moments. But did you know that, according to one of our Scope reports, two-thirds of British people feel uncomfortable talking to people with disabilities? And worse still, one-fifth of 18- to 34-year-olds admitted they’ve avoided talking to a person with a disability altogether for fear of saying or doing the wrong thing. Scope wants to change that by raising awareness with their #EndTheAwkward campaign.

Melissa McGlensey- the Mighty

In anticipation of this historic event, the Rio Paralympic Games committee released a video captured using a hidden camera that shows three Paralympic athletes training at the gym. At first, fellow gym-goers stare because of the athletes’ various disabilities. But once the athletes get going, people are staring for another reason entirely.

The Blog- Huffington Post

The Americans with Disabilities Act celebrated its 25th year of coming into law last month, and while it has changed countless lives, it has become apparent that inclusion loopholes still exist.

By Kimberli Turner

Sales was paralyzed from the waist down during an aircraft accident 2 ½ years ago and he has dealt with the first set of questions — "Why did this happen?," "What do I do now?" and "What can I do?"

Tricia Downing- Blog

By all accounts, Susan Williams wasn’t supposed to be on the 2004 Olympic triathlon team. There were four Americans in front of her in the world rankings, and there were only three potential spots on the U.S. squad that would make the Athens Games (only the second time in history that the swimming, biking and running event would appear on the Olympic schedule).

Chris Matyszczyk- CNet

In the US, citizens have begun to film the police with abandon.

In turn, the police have started to wear bodycams in order to capture what they see.

In Spain, however, a new gagging law has been enacted. It's titled the Citizens Security Law.

Sue LoTempio- New Mobility Magazines

I love hotels. I hate hotels. Know the feeling? While adventure travel is big business these days, for wheelers “adventure” often implies something different: access problems.