Patti's Blog - Advocate for Elders, People with Disabilities and Their Families

Athletes overcome fear, disability to compete

Excerpt from Cincinnati.com: (click for entire article)

Roderick Sewell is at home in the water now.

He feared it not so long ago, and with good reason. He almost drowned as a child. His memory of that day is hazy, but he recalls tumbling into the water, kicking and flailing, unable to stay afloat.

His legs failed him then, kept him down.

But not any longer.

“It’s natural now to be swimming,” Sewell said Saturday after swimming two races at the annual Disability Open at the University of Cincinnati. “I fell in love with it.”

Neighbors with disabilities handcycle toward independence

Excerpt from KESQ: (click for entire article)

The local organization Incight teamed up Intrepid Cycles and Freedom Concepts to put on a handcycling clinic at the Palm Desert Civic Center Saturday.

Coby Webb and her kids were in a car accident more than a year ago. Webb was paralyzed for months, but now with the help of a cane she's back on her feet.

"I had a broken hip, broken femur, broken back and spinal cord injury," said Webb.

The Webb family and many others dealing with physical disabilities got out of their chairs, slid into a new set of wheels and went for a ride.

University students design products to help athletes with disabilities

Excerpt from Oregon Daily Emerald: (click for entire article)

The University’s School of Architecture and Allied Arts in Portland created a unique class last quarter with the help of Nike designers Bob Lucas and Wilson Smith focusing on adaptive product design.

The course — brainchild of Lucas and Smith — began to take shape in December 2011 and had 16 students split into four teams to design products for an array of athletes with disabilities.

Lucas believes that what makes this class different from other similar ones is the interaction that the students had with their respective athletes.

IHSA asks for court ruling for Student-Athletes with Disabilities

Excerpt from The Sacramento Bee: (click for entire article)

As the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) looks to expand opportunities for student-athletes with disabilities, the statewide organization announced that it has filed for declaratory judgment against the Illinois Attorney General. The complaint seeks judicial direction pertaining to opportunities for student-athletes with disabilities in state championships.

According to last month's filing in McLean County Circuit Court, representatives for the Illinois Attorney General repeatedly threatened legal action against the IHSA should the IHSA fail to comply with their demand for a separate event for "disabled students" at the IHSA State Championship track and field events. Furthermore, the complaint states that at no time has the Illinois Attorney General's office set forth with particularity any specific violation of any specific law on the part of the IHSA. Representatives have also refused to discuss the rights and obligations of the parties under applicable law.

Governor Quinn Welcomes Athletes to the 44th Special Olympics Spring Games Opening Ceremonies Bring More than 3,000 Athletes to Soldier Field

Excerpt from IGNN: (click for entire article)

Governor Pat Quinn today welcomed Special Olympics Spring Games athletes to Solider Field, the birthplace of the Special Olympics. The opening ceremonies will kick off three days of track and field events for more than 3,000 athletes. At the event, Governor Quinn emphasized his commitment to improve life for people with developmental and intellectual disabilities in Illinois and protect special education by repairing the pension and Medicaid systems this year.

“We are so proud of our Special Olympics athletes, who have helped make America a better country with their competitive spirit and talents,” Governor Quinn said. “All people should feel they can reach their potential in Illinois. That’s why we will continue to increase community care options for people with disabilities and we will take the necessary steps to protect funding for special education.”

Governor Quinn recently proposed bold plans to stabilize Illinois’ pension and Medicaid systems to preserve funding for programs such as special education. After decades of fiscal mismanagement, the Governor’s plans protect special education by repairing the pension and Medicaid systems this year by making the two programs sustainable - alleviating pressures on other areas of the budget, such as education and public safety.

Disabled troupe prepare Olympics opening ceremony routine

Excerpt from London Evening Standard: (click for entire article)

A troupe of disabled performers is being trained in circus skills to bring dramatic aerial acrobatics to the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games.

Fifty performers are embarking on an eight-week training programme at Circus Space in Hackney to be able to perform aerial work on a 35ft-metre rig and specially adapted “sway poles”.

And the airborne theme will be manifest from the get-go as the ceremony begins with a fly-past by a pilot trained by the Aerobility charity that gives disabled adults and children the chance to learn to fly.

Student With Disability Fights to Play Sports

From YouTube: (click for video)

A 19-year-old with Down syndrome took his case for high school sports eligibility to state lawmakers, arguing that Michigan should consider age-limit exemptions for student athletes whose playing careers are delayed because of disabilities.

Helping Cyclists With Disabilities Reach Their Goals

Excerpt from League of American Bicyclists: (click for entire article)

The League’s Smart Cycling curriculum is a great tool for creating safe, confident cyclists. One of the greatest aspects of the program is the way it can be adapted to meet an educator’s needs. A great example is Programs to Educate All Cyclists (PEAC), a Michigan group helping individuals of all ages with cognitive, physical, and emotional disabilities reach their cycling goals.

John Waterman and his staff are serious about what they do. “We believe everyone can ride,” Waterman says. “That’s our motto and we take this stuff personally.” Waterman is a League Cycling Instructor, and all of the staff has graduated from Traffic Skills 101. More importantly, everyone has a degree in special education and a passion for working with cyclists with disabilities. PEAC has developed a number of programs to address the variety of goals set by their students.

Baseball Stories - Down Syndrome

Excerpt from Bella Online: (click for entire article)

I have an athletic son who was born with Down syndrome. When he was a preschooler at his first baseball game I leaned over to whisper to him a simple explanation of the sport. Before I was halfway through the first comment he raised his palm to me and said, "One, two, three - you are OUT, mom."

All of a sudden a foul ball popped up and headed in our direction but well over our heads. As I leaned in to protect him he mistook my intent, raised his hand again and said very firmly: "Foul ball." He had watched hours of baseball on TV already; often playing with toys or multitasking in dozens of ways. I did not realize how much he was taking in.

It seemed as though he was a baseball fan before he was born. I know that he responded to crowd noises at the stadium while I was pregnant. At one game it felt as though he was having his own batting practice.

USA Cycling, physicians develop head injury protocol

Excerpt from Velo News: (click for entire article)

With increased scrutiny on BMX crashes and head injuries on the road, as well as brain injuries in sport, USA Cycling has engaged a number of physicians to develop protocols to help riders and their doctors better manage post-head injury recovery.

When Chris Horner crashed during the seventh stage of the 2011 Tour de France, he got back on his bike and finished the 135-mile route to Châteauroux. At the finish — clearly disoriented, with abrasions oozing on his face — Horner asked his soigneur, “I don’t understand… when did I crash? Has it been a long time?” Told that he had been riding for some time to get to the finish, Horner incredulously queried, “We’ve been chasing for 25K?”

Even after going to the hospital and getting word from doctors that the blow to his head was so severe that he could not continue racing, Horner later recalled that, “I wanted to race the next day and start the stage at the Tour!” After all, he thought, “We crash so much; it’s just part of the job. Eventually you are going to hit your head; that’s why we wear a helmet.”