Adaptive Sports
They promote health and fitness, break down barriers, reveal hidden character, teach essential life lessons, expand individual potential…and that’s just the beginning. Adaptive sports are an ingenious and effective way to plow through the challenges posed by your disability.
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Latest news and stories
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From the Slopes to the Doctor’s Office: The Power of Genetic Testing
By Danelle Umstead, Blind Paralympian and former Dancing with the Stars Contestant I first realized I was losing my vision when I was 13 years old. While I had always worn glasses and frequently had headaches, one morning was different. The headache, which usually subsided after putting on my glasses and taking a Tylenol, would…
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Explore the Magical Underwater World with Adaptive Scuba Diving
By Helen Armstrong, Dive Pirates It all started when three women sitting around the table after a great day of diving started talking about their new certifications as adaptive scuba instructors. Who can we teach? Who would be interested? As the news of the conflict in the Middle East filled the airways almost daily, the answer came easily.…
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Product Spotlight: Onit Ability Boards
With a design reminiscent of the outrigger canoes of ancient Southeast Asian maritime cultures, a new-to-market product has merged old and new technology to provide people with disabilities access to the open water. It was just last year that avid surfer and Hawaiian native Kawika Watt and his partner, James Rouse, embarked on an exciting…
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Partially Blind Skier with MS Set for 2014 Paralympic Games
By David Block Danelle Umstead of Park City Utah will be a key U.S. skier to watch for at the Paralympics in March in Sochi, Russia. The sight impaired Umstead left her mark at the 2010 Paralympic Games in Vancouver, Canada, when she and her fully sighted guide/husband Rob Umstead won two bronze medals in skiing;…
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Opening the Gate: Stories and Activities about Athletes with Disabilities
On sale this winter, just in time for the Paralympics, is an exciting new book for middle-graders by Ingrid Floyd called Opening the Gate: Stories & Activities about Athletes with Disabilities. Targeted for able-bodied youngsters and those with disabilities alike, it is inspires them to pursue their dreams in sports, as well as helps volunteers, teachers,…
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Explore Northeastern Adaptive Sports Programs with Chris Collin
By Lisa Wells, Cure Medical Adaptive sports expert Chris Collin knows firsthand that it can be difficult to find adaptive sports programs within a day’s drive and that are also a good fit for your skills or interests. That’s why we’re sharing his advice below along with an invitation to meet Chris in person at the…
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Get in Synch with Synchronized Swimming
By Tina Boales, Synchronized Swimming Athletes with Disabilities Adaptive Sychronized Swimming will be featured Abilities Expo Bay Area, November 21-23, 2014. Ever wonder how they do it? How they can hold their breath and flip upside down so “easily” and dance in the water? It’s ALL in the magic of the pool! The combination of dance, gymnastics, ballet…
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ACEing Autism Serves Positive Development for Kids with ASD
ACEing Autism a volunteer-driven, nonprofit organization dedicated to bringing our adaptive tennis program to the lives of children with autism. Connecting kids through tennis has been our aim for ten years and counting. Our goal is to provide an hour of fun, adaptive tennis to children and an hour break for parents, during which, they…
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Crossing the Sierras…In a Wheelchair?
By Bob “4-Wheel Bob” Coomber, Abilities Expo Ambassador I woke in a tent on September 17, 2014, anxious to begin what was to have been an epic journey. Though I’ve established quite a few “first summits” for someone in a wheelchair, a 22-mile one-way crossing of the Sierra Nevada mountain range via Kearsarge Pass—at nearly…
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Paralympian Josh Dueck Shares his Intimate Connection between Body and Sit Ski
It’s hard to grasp the gravity of a major life change. In an instant everything is flipped on its head. Seemingly, no one can be prepared for the emotional intensity and uncertainty that comes with such a shift. Even more so, the choices and decisions you make can build momentum to accelerate you forward or…
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Making Sky-wide Smiles on the Slopes
Millions of smiles each snowy winter season happen because of one main reason: 8,195 hours of volunteer time. That’s the number of adaptive teaching hours Ontario Track 3 Ski Association delivers every alpine season to enable kids of all abilities to experience the magic of snow sports. Behind each of those hours is a dedicated volunteer ski…
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Study Poised to Help People who Use AAC
By David J. Hajjar, M.S., CCC-SLP, Ohio University Individuals with acquired neurogenic disabilities and have complex communication needs can experience many challenges with community reengagement. After experiencing inpatient services focusing on restoration and improvement, transitioning to community-based services may seem inadequate. Some therapy services may drop off and individuals may become isolated due to diminished…