1. Watch the four videos in the series titled “Is this Inclusion?”
1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=enSXxg52cy8
2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPqXJ7_3OOY
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6Alt2DssYc
4. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kHKtpn6lMsc
After watching these ask yourself – are these effective and appropriate examples of inclusion? And if not – how could they be improved?
Provide a well written paragraph not exceeding 500 words. Ensure that your answer uses content and materials from KIN 465.
2. You are about to teach a 60 minute grade 4/5 physical education class, around target games. Your class is an inclusive class with 27 students of which several of your students have Down Syndrome, Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, Attention-deficit/hyperactivity Disorder and Autism. Using your knowledge and experience gained in KIN465, set up a teaching program plan (from start to finish) that allows every student to participate and develop their physical literacy skills (you might want to think about in class material such as CDPP research, PAPL slides and 6 F’s during your plan development). After completing the teaching plan, create a visual graphic schedule to assist understanding and communication. Both of these should be limited to 1 page each.
3. Watch the Youtube clip below. The game is called PACMan. You will notice between 2:57-3:10 of the video, there is a student using a walker who is excluded from playing the game. List 6 specific modifications / adaptations so this student is included in the game without the other children’s level of activity and challenge being effected. Explain your rationale for each suggestion.
Case 2: Disability Knowledge for Future Professionals
4. Congratulations you are the new owner of a rehab clinic who employs Kinesiologists, Recreation Therapists, Physical Therapist and Massage Therapists. After completing a client / staff feedback survery, it is apparent that your staff needs to improve their “bedside manner” when working with clients with disabilities. Please list 10 specific things that you want your staff to know. Ensure that they are all different and focussing on diverse themes and issues that we have discussed in class. Provide helpful examples that will assist your staff to understand and learn. Underline key words or themes within each. Limit each list to 50 words maximum.
5. Complete the chart below, use information from class / module readings and the student disability videos enhanced by your own research. Each item needs to be distinct and different, you can not use your disability video. Provide references (both from class / outside sources) in the last column. Use this chart as a template to create on a separate page, so you can expand and input necessary information.Ensure that your answers are at a 4th year university level for full marks.
I have attached a photo of this chart as well See attached.
Topic: PA / Rehab considerations Something you learned that you found interesting and helpful Something you need to remember for your future aspirations References from your own research
Accessible British Columbia Act
Autonomic Dysreflexia is ______
1 Video from Block 1: ________
1 Video from Block 2: ________
1 Video from Block 3: ________
This is course content that should be included in the case study questions
Module 3: Inclusion
Module 3: Inclusion
“Like falling in love, inclusion is a process, an investment not a product of a single training or book learning.” — @Brandi__Heather
“Equality is acknowledging and accommodating differences”
Diversity and inclusion are distinct from each other. Diversity is the reality of the world we live in, but inclusion is a choice that must be actively made by individuals and organizations.
Organizations tend to adopt one of three approaches to diversity and inclusion. These approaches are either compliance, PR or genuine embedding in decision-making and our approach in this module will be on identifying the differences and thinking about how we move to the third level.
Inclusion Without Equity Leaves Us Behind | Anna Johannes | TEDxBoston
The idea that inclusion has a defined finish line or list of checkboxes that, once ticked, that results in “perfect inclusion” is not representative of reality. Inclusion is a feeling, and a way of interacting, it is profoundly personal, and it is as ever-changing as our own life process. (Brandi Heather, AMPED2PLAY)
In this section, you will have the opportunity to reflect on the inclusion of persons with disabilities in a variety of settings including physical education. There is much debate about the effectiveness of inclusion and what is the most appropriate system. Hopefully, the various perspectives discussed herein will help us understand what the best path forward is in various circumstances.
As I mentioned earlier, persons who are able-bodied are sometimes referred to as TABs (Temporarily Able Bodied), and they/ we sometimes see inclusion through an ableist view where able-bodied people are dominant and the majority. But what if this wasn’t the case?
The reality, of course, is that able-bodied are the majority and thus society often discusses and debates inclusion through the lens of persons with disability being included in an able-bodied majority context. In many cases when I teach an adapted class it’s rare that more than 5% of students have a disability. For those of us who don’t have a disability, we need to be aware of this lens and conscious and/or unconcsious biases.
To begin this section please review the following sites to give you a broad understanding of how inclusion is defined.
International Charter of Physical Education
http://www.unesco.org/new/en/general-conference-38th/single-view/news/international_charter_of_physical_education_revised_to_ensur/
What is Inclusion?
The Inclusion Club
Commit to Inclusion
Inclusion – the Bigger Picture
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/isaac-zablocki/inclusion-the-bigger-pict_b_9154396.html
Sports and Disability Inclusion – International Panel
The integration and inclusion of athletes with intellectual disabilities into sports empower the athlete, their teammates, and sports organizations at large. Through the work of organizations such as the Special Olympics, the number of athletes with intellectual abilities has drastically increased in recent years.
Australian panel discussion at the 2020 Diversity and Inclusion in Sport Forum
http://playbytherules.biz/t/2020Forum
Perhaps as important it is to understand why we should pursue inclusion is knowing why some inclusion efforts fail
https://www.forbes.com/sites/sfrost/2020/06/26/why-inclusion-efforts-fail/?
This may be assisted by having a better understanding of what to measure in inclusion and diversity.
Inclusion 3.0 and the Critical Role of Measurement
https://www.included.com/case-study/included/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=case_study&utm_campaign=measurement
It’s also worth nothing (as I state later that inclusion might not always be the best option). What has been proven, however, is that inclusion, with a few exceptions, is best for all. In these McKinsey Reports and the stories that follow, the authors suggest that inclusivity and diversity matter more than ever.
https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-still-matters?
https://www.mckinsey.com/featured-insights/diversity-and-inclusion/diversity-wins-how-inclusion-matters?
UN / IFAPA Presentation, Promoting Inclusive Environments through Adapted Physical Activity
Dr. David Legg, President of the Canadian Paralympic Committee and Canadian Sport for Life Leadership Team member presents his Big Idea on athletes with disabilities.
The Absence Of Opportunities For Physical Activity Means That Those With A Disability Miss Out On Sport
https://www.isportconnect.com/the-absence-of-opportunities-for-physical-activity-means-that-those-with-a-disability-miss-out-on-sport/
Including persons with disabilities in sport
In the run up to the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December 2020, we asked the Sport and Development community to send in their articles on how they are making sports more inclusive, what their challenges are, and what the future of inclusive sports looks like.
https://www.sportanddev.org/en/news-and-views/call-articles/including-persons-disabilities-sport
New Models, New Athletes | Project Play Summit 2020
Tatyana McFadden, 7x Paralympic Gold Medalist
What sports system should we build by LA 2028 Games?
@TatyanaMcFadden says we must start now to create more inclusion. “My dream would be one day to magically wake up and not be seen as a person with a disability who is so different.” #ProjectPlay
World Health Organization (WHO)
Whether you’re walking or cycling to work, dancing, washing the dishes, or playing with your kids – every move counts.
The benefits extend across the spectrum including social, physical, and economic realms. As an example the most recent Paralympic Games in Tokyo have been suggested to provide a watershed moment for disability inclusion and employment
https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/SB-Blogs/COVID19-OpEds/2021/08/19-Park.aspx
Combatting the Costs of Exclusion for Children with Disabilities and their Families.
https://wcmsprod.unicef.org/reports/combatting-costs-exclusion
Inclusion is certainly a topic of great discussion and many organizations and groups are trying to address it. Examples abound including the following:
The Abilities Centre (Durham and Ottawa), Calgary Adapted Hub powered by Jumpstart and One Ability have come together in the co-creation of a free accessible virtual facilitation training series. The five-part video series includes tips and tricks to make virtual programming accessible for all.
Team Peloton hired the first trainer with a disability
https://blog.onepeloton.com/introducing-logan-aldridge/
Baby on board: A joystick and wheels help tiny tots with motor impairments get into mischief
https://hollandbloorview.ca/stories-news-events/BLOOM-Blog/baby-board-joystick-and-wheels-help-tiny-tots-motor-impairments-get
FIFA celebrates accessibility and inclusiveness in football on International Day of Disabled People
https://www.fifa.com/football-development/news/fifa-celebrates-accessibility-and-inclusiveness-in-football-on-international-day
Finally I want to share a podcast by a colleague Justin Haegle in the US created by another colleague who was based at the University of Northern Iowa. Dr. Justin Haegele (@Justin_Haegele) is an associate professor at Old Dominion University, an accomplished researcher in the field of adapted physical activity.
“Since its introduction into educational vernacular, inclusion has become an international buzzword that now underpins educational policy and practice. However, the meaning of the term inclusion is contentious, and appears to change depending on the context in which it is used. In this presentation, the speaker will discuss one conceptualization of inclusion, as a subjective experience, and the implications this orientation has on research and practice. He will then provide a detailed overview of his research which has focused on amplifying the voices of persons with disabilities to understand, from their perspective, their experiences with inclusion. The presentation with conclude with a discussion about how to move educational research forward utilizing this conceptualization”
https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/whats-new-in-adapted-physical-education/id1023865051?i=1000516063254
Hopefully, after reading/ watching these stories we should have a better understanding of inclusion which will then allow us to more effectively discuss and debate strategies for the future that result in positive change.
UNIT 1: Inclusion in the Classroom
Unit 1: Inclusion in the Classroom
Inclusion for children with disabilities in Physical Education is often an ideal that in practice is far from perfect. While progress has been made, there are still many challenges and opportunities fully including children with a disability into a curriculum.
Before we delve into the challenges of inclusion further, however, it’s important to understand where we’ve been.
The Evolution of Inclusion: The past and future of education
In this video Shelley Moore talks about how inclusion has evolved over time from a US perspective. From community living, to neighbourhood school movements, this episode helps us understand what inclusion is, by looking at, and learning from, the past as well as challenging our present assumptions.
We also need to acknowledge that we shouldn’t necessarily think inclusion is a problem of just the past as concerns continue and in perhaps were further accentuated by COVID.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/parents-special-needs-back-to-school-1.5702709
https://sirc.ca/blog/including-children-and-youth-with-disabilities-in-the-24-hour-movement-guidelines/
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/st-stephen-school-elevator-1.5430824?fbclid=IwAR1vzn2MfyoIowMErtAzLnbF0x7TGpESLgviSA7vzNFt-RCucrXByoXQK_o.
All that being said I think progress is being made and examples of programs that are trying to promote greater inclusion in physical education and community sport include the following:
Physical Literacy
Physical Literacy
https://www.bluetoad.com/publication/?m=27341&i=664627&p=18&pre=1
Children in Motion Coursehttps://children-in-motion.thinkific.com/courses/Variety-Virtual-Adventure?
Inclusive Play Leadership Certificate which helps leaders in kids’ physical activity create & lead inclusive play experiences
https://jumpstart.canadiantire.ca/pages/resources-for-organizations
Coaching (Canada)
https://www.coach.ca/coaching-athletes-with-a-disability–s17345
Coaching (Canada)
https://jumpstart.canadiantire.ca/pages/coaching-kids-of-all-abilities
Coaching (Australia)
https://playbytherules.net.au/online-courses/inclusive-coaching
Sport Science
https://www.sportscientistcanada.ca/en-CA/Programs/Parasport-Module
Sport Psychology
https://sirc.ca/news/exciting-new-free-resource-for-para-athletes-funded-by-sshrc-and-sport-canada/
Before we go too much further into specific programs and actions lets focus on the philosophical and practical programming issues related to inclusion and return to the history of inclusion.
Dr. Nancy Spencer (who we met earlier in this course) from the University of Alberta and her graduate student Kirsten Kirwir reviewed the history of inclusion. They noted that from the early 1900s to 1950s inclusion was facilities-based, using a medical model. In the 1950s this changed to a focus on integration and normalization that was service-based and used terms such as mainstreaming and least restrictive environment. In the 1980s this changed once again and is, for the most part, the model we still use now. Here, everyone is included and welcome and there is a merging of regular and specialized settings. A question we might ask then is why are we trying to include persons with disability INTO an able bodied system. Perhaps it should be a new system where all are included?
Suggesting that we might have to start with a whole new approach is not new and stems from concerns expressed for decades. In 1999, Dr. Martin Block wrote an article “Did We Jump on the Wrong Bandwagon” where he challenged the assumptions made about inclusion and questioned whether it was, in fact, the right option or at least in the way it was being managed then. Block identified four primary challenges including inclusion being seen as a cause. The second issue was that inclusion was typically addressed from the program level versus the child advocacy perspective. The third concern was that inclusion was often pushed by myopic zealots versus more reasonable debates. It was all or nothing. The fourth and final issue was that these zealots had a disregard for parent or child preference. Again it was all or nothing and the cause outweighed the needs of the child and family. Segregation then was not an option from a purely philosophical perspective.
From a programmatic perspective, Block then identified four assumptions within the physical education system that created further challenges for effectively including children with disabilities into ‘mainstream’ PE programs. The first assumption (that proved to be false) was that physical education class sizes would mirror those of other classes. The second assumption was that teachers were appropriately trained to teach PE and more specifically adapted PE. A third assumption was that teachers were willing to take on the challenge and/or opportunity of including children with disabilities. The fourth and final assumption was that most PE programs were already of high quality with individualized instruction in place. Needless to say, many of these assumptions were incorrect.
Find this article from the UFV Library sources.
Block, M. E. (1999). Did we jump on the wrong bandwagon? Problems with inclusion in physical education. Palaestra, 15(3), 30–36; 55–56.
Credit: iStockPhoto
Improved inclusion for persons with disabilities into the able-bodied majority was also partially the goal when the Canadian Paralympic Committee produced a commercial to highlight that “it’s more than sport.” The same was the case for Special Olympics’ Speechless commercial. What’s interesting though is that a segregated program is seen as the conduit to greater inclusion in other areas.
It’s more than sport, Paralympic Committee
Speechless, Special Olympics
Another perspective on inclusion within the school system was presented by the Inclusion Club based in Australia
http://theinclusionclub.com/.
Autistic Basketball Player Jason Mcelwain’s – Inspirational Story
Basketball player with Down Syndrome
https://www.facebook.com/GoodMorningAmerica/videos/10153389300717061
Wrestling – ESPN 30 for 30
A student with CP in Nova Scotia
http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/nova-scotia/thomas-odo-coal-bowl-student-disability-cerebral-palsy-crowd-1.3433613
Sports Illustrated High School Athlete of Year was chosen for commitment inclusion
Wheelchair-using students get level playing field in Grand-Digue, N.B.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/wheelchair-using-students-get-level-playing-field-in-grand-digue-n-b-1.2818044
School Sport in BC
http://www.theprovince.com/sports/Just+because+that+what+Vancouver+girl+wheelchair+makes+school+sports+history/10772053/story.html
High school athletes paired with kids who have disabilities
http://www.usatoday.com/videos/news/humankind/2016/10/04/91557896/
Teen with cerebral palsy takes on demanding Spartan Race
http://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/teen-with-cerebral-palsy-takes-on-demanding-spartan-race
Calgary Teen Playing Rugby
Calgary teen with rare genetic disorder has unforgettable moment on rugby pitch
Basketball manager plays in his first game ever, scores a basket
https://www.facebook.com/WFMYNews2/videos/188941282513252/
A player with Down Syndrome scores basket for his high school team
https://www.facebook.com/ESPN/videos/193046448764735/
LeBron James
LeBron James seeks out Special Olympics MVP after Celtics game, gives him his shoes
Atlee football player with cerebral palsy gets a thrill — an 80-yard touchdown
https://richmond.com/sports/high-school/atlee-football-player-with-cerebral-palsy-gets-a-thrill—-an-80-yard/article_8f9cc730-bc0e-11e7-ae24-4311760be383.html
Murfreesboro special needs student makes a basket in final game with help from both teams
https://fox17.com/news/local/murfreesboro-elementary-school-plays-special-needs-student-in-basketball-game?
A wrestler with cerebral palsy gets the pin!
https://www.facebook.com/sportsnation/videos/2492721664333643/
High school senior with Down Syndrome scores touchdown
https://www.facebook.com/Fox8NewsCleveland/videos/377657386235934/UzpfSTc4NDE4NTI0ODoxMDE2MjMyMTAwMzIxNTI0OQ/
Laurier Football Practice
https://kitchener.ctvnews.ca/more-than-a-game-video-of-laurier-football-practice-goes-viral-1.4556286
Do any of these represent true inclusion or are they tokenism, patronizing, inspiration porn or paternalistic?
One story, in particular, received a lot of attention when a “hero teacher” was lauded for carrying a student with Spina Bifida during a class outing. While some saw this as a tremendous act of kindness others said it was inappropriate.
https://www.facebook.com/DisabilityinSport/posts/2554488597920364?comment_id=2554693614566529¬if_id=1569603077118651¬if_t=feed_comment
Saturday Night Live also mocked this type of story where a high school wrestler took ‘a dive’ during a competition against an opponent with Down Syndrome.
This SNL skit was based on the following story:
http://boston.cbslocal.com/2016/01/26/norton-wrestling-deven-schuko-video/
http://www.insideedition.com/headlines/14311-undefeated-wrestler-loses-to-rival-with-special-needs-makes-his-dreams-come-true
For some, what the able-bodied wrestler did was noble, kind and to be celebrated. For others, it made a mockery of competition and demonstrated the type of pity that those with disabilities abhor.
I think that for the most part all of these stories come from a good place but there are still lots of other examples where we don’t get it right and it’s nice when change happens because somebody asks why. When university administrators said Joey Ramp could not bring her service dog into the lab, she kitted him out in full protective equipment and fought to overturn their decision. Now she is helping create more inclusive policies on the use of service dogs in science
https://thebiologist.rsb.org.uk/biologist-features/dogs-for-diversity
A final comment is that I am not of the opinion that inclusion is not ALWAYS the answer or best option. With articles like ‘Including My Son With Down Syndrome Benefits Everyone in the Classroom’ https://themighty.com/2018/03/down-syndrome-inclusion-benefits/? I can appreciate and understand the perspective but I also wonder if there are times when segregated programs are a better choice.
Push for special schools to be phased out under inclusive education plan
https://www.theage.com.au/education/push-for-special-schools-to-be-phased-out-under-inclusive-education-plan-20220428-p5agxd.html?
I’m also not advocating for exclusion but instead having a range of options and opportunities from full inclusion to segregation where appropriate and when it’s best for the individual.
Self-reflection
What are the benefits, challenges, and opportunities of inclusion in physical education and community sport and recreation?
Using examples from multiple stories in this unit, describe what needs to happen in order for more ‘appropriate’ inclusion to occur.
UNIT 2: Inclusion in Paralympic Sport
Unit 2: Inclusion in Paralympic Sport
Inclusion in the school system, as we just discovered, is fraught with challenges but also tremendous opportunities. Inclusion for high-performance athletes at the Olympic and Paralympic Games is also a contentious and hotly debated issue, particularly as more athletes with a disability are able to compete (some might suggest equitably or even advantaged) against able-bodied competitors. Thus, our first question is whether there is even a difference between Olympic and Paralympic athletes, as per the Chicago 2016 advertisement?
Commonwealth Sport in their video Sport is Just the Beginning is also demonstrating the similarity of athletes both able bodied and with disability.
(Note the two Calgary based athletes)
Corporations like Nike are also making the claim that we are all athletes (note the woman with a disability).
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-5MGkUwe6w
In Tokyo, the French Olympic and Paralympic worlds were further brought together as the same French team – Nous sommes l’Equipe de France – #UneSeuleEquipe
Sportsmedia has also tried to compare all athletes. In their attempt to who is the best overall athlete they created a formula where we would be able to compare the world’s best sportspeople and get an ultimate World Sport Ranking for the year 2020. (AND it included athletes with disability)
Training opportinies are also a challenge in that many fitness centres do not advertise that they are accessible and inclusive. Does yours?Degree Deodorant Launches #TrainersforHire Campaign to Challenge Fitness Industry After 81% of People with Disability say they Do Not Feel Welcome in Fitness Spaces
https://prn.to/3kuGLzg
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/degree-deodorant-launches-trainersforhire-campaign-to-challenge-fitness-industry-after-81-of-people-with-disabilities-say-they-do-not-feel-welcome-in-fitness-spaces-301380445.html
The merge of Olympians and Paralympians is also being seen with the examples of persons with disability competing in Olympic Games. This includes Natalie Du Toit and Oscar Pistorius in the Olympic Summer Games and Brian McKeever in the Winter Games (with other examples going as far back as 1904). Some might argue that these examples have been unqualified successes while others suggest that this might be ok for some and in particular those who are the “least disabled” but the reality is that most athletes with disabilities will continue to be excluded.
https://www.espn.com/olympics/trackandfield/story/_/id/11290134/german-amputee-jumper-contest-euros-exclusion
https://deadspin.com/the-one-legged-wrestler-who-conquered-his-sport-then-l-452888181
https://www.seahawks.com/news/he-went-out-and-did-it-why-seahawks-rookie-shaquem-griffin-s-success-means-so-mu
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/basketball-playing-amputee-melissa-shapiro-sees-no-limits-1.2988152
I also think pairing elite athletes of all abilities if even side by side offers interesting and unique opportunities to learn, be creative and develop greater understanding. Similarly The Essendon Bombers (Aussie Rules Football) players were in awe of Australian Paralympics Goalball athletes training right beside them.
To better acquaint yourself with the history and issues surrounding persons with disability playing alongside those who are able bodied please review the following:
Legg, D., Fay, T., Hums, M. A., & Wolff, E. (2009). Examining the inclusion of wheelchair exhibition events within the Olympic games 1984–2004. European Sport Management Quarterly, 9(3), 243–258.
Click here to download the article.
International Olympic Academy Journal Human Rights and Sport – special issue on Disability Inclusion, Olympism and Human Rights
https://ioa.org.gr/journal/
It is also worth noting that different Games have created varying models for how athletes with disabilities can be “included”. In the Olympic / Paralympic context the Games are held concurrently but independently. In the Commonwealth Games, events for athletes with disabilities are included within the “mainstream” event although there are far fewer opportunities for “disabled” athletes compared to able bodied ones. Check out the Steadward Talks where the history of Inclusion in the Commonwealth Games is discussed.
The Canada Games, first had events for para athletes for the 1993 Canada Summer Games in Kamloops, BC (athletics) and the 1995 Canada Winter Games in Grande Prairie, AB (wheelchair basketball). Special Olympics events were then added for the 2001 Canada Summer Games in London, ON (swimming) and the 2003 Canada Winter Games in Bathurst-Campbellton, NB (figure skating). Today, events for athletes with a disability are comprised of the following:
Summer program
Para athletics
Para sailing
Para swimming
Special Olympics swimming
Winter program
Para alpine
Para nordic
Special Olympics figure skating
Wheelchair basketball
The Canada Games are (as far as I know) the ONLY multi sport Games that have events for able bodied, para and Special Olympic athletes. The caveat though is that they compete in segregated events within each category.
As I mentioned earlier the idea of athletes with disabilities competing directly against those who are able bodied has become contentious in particular when athletes like Oscar Pistorius, a double legged amputee, who competed in both the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games begin to match or exceed athletic accomplishments of those who are able bodied. The issue for Pistorius mostly surrounded his prosthetic legs and whether they gave him a mechanical advantage over athletes who did not have prosthetics.
Should Oscar Pistorius’s Prosthetic Legs Disqualify Him from the Olympics?, Scientific American
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/scientists-debate-oscar-pistorius-prosthetic-legs-disqualify-him-olympics/
Oscar Pistorius, Popular Science
http://www.popsci.com/category/tags/oscar-pistorius
‘No Advantage to Being an Amputee’: A Defence of Oscar Pistorius’s Prostheses, The Atlantic
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/08/no-advantage-to-being-an-amputee-a-defense-of-oscar-pistoriuss-prostheses/260878/
Interestingly, when Pistorius lost in the 200 m final at the 2012 London Games against Alan Oliveria from Brazil, it was argued that Oliveria’s prosthetics were too long and thus gave him a mechanical advantage over Oscar. You be the judge.
Athletics – Men’s 200 m – T44 Final – London 2012 Paralympic Games
There are of course hundreds of other articles written about the advantages or disadvantages of prosthetics when compared to able-bodied limbs and the opinions vary. This issue is also discussed later in this module with a case study on Pistorius that I wrote focusing both on inclusion and also the impact of technology.
Beyond these issues pertaining to whether those with disabilities should be able to compete in Olympic Games and directly against able-bodied athletes is the question of whether the Paralympic Games should be included within the Olympic Games or if they should be hosted before versus after as has been the tradition.
http://www.businessinsider.com/why-the-olympics-and-paralympics-are-separate-events-2016-8
http://www.sbs.com.au/topics/zela/article/2016/08/19/paralympic-games-why-its-important-address-disability-arena
I wonder if one day the IPC will simply be part of the Olympic movement and there won’t even be a distinction between the two. Some have argued that we don’t call women Olympians, Fem-lympians so why should we call persons with disabilities Paralympians? And perhaps this more unified system is what we’re already seeing in organizational structures at some local and national contexts. In 2020, the United States Olympic Committee (USOC) for instance changed their name to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) to reflect the inclusion of Paralympic sport.
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1080967/usoc-announces-name-change-to-united-states-olympic-and-paralympic-committee
Corporations are also making the connection between Olympic and Paralympic athletes. Nike for instance created a braille poster for sponsored athlete Lex Gillette
https://lexgillette.com/nike/
The USOCP is now one of five national Paralympic Committees to do so. Canada, meanwhile, maintains the model of having two separate organizations. Which is the right one?
https://sirc.ca/blog/the-paradox-of-integration-building-a-panacea-or-exacerbating-a-partition/
What is also interesting (to me anyway) is wondering where inclusion in high performance sport will take us. Is the future of sport for able-bodied and athletes with disabilities even more inclusive?
Unique “One Race” event to feature during the inauguration of Olympic Stadium for Tokyo 2020
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1086473/one-race-tokyo-2020-national-stadium
Finally I want you to think about the future of where sport will go and in particular the Paralympic and Olympic Games:. Will the converge, diverge, or remain the same?
Self-reflection
Describe your vision of perfect inclusion in high performance sport.
UNIT 3: Promoting Full Inclusion
Unit 3: Promoting Full Inclusion
As a result of the last two sections, you may now have a different opinion regarding what is appropriate and effective inclusion. Advocating for, or against it, then becomes part of your professional responsibilities and you help guide this by using the 5 L’s:
Look at me
Leverage
Literature
Legislation
Litigation
‘Look at me’ means ‘practicing what you preach’ or ‘modelling the way’. If we believe in full inclusion, are we displaying these ideals to others in our actions? Think about how some of the examples below relate to various holidays and how people and organizations are trying to ensure that all can participate. Are you willing and able to do the same?
Treat accessibly
https://www.treataccessibly.com/
Target just launched Halloween costumes for kids with disabilities
https://www.fastcompany.com/90384817/target-just-launched-halloween-costumes-for-kids-with-disabilities?
14 Inclusive Halloween Costumes to Ensure All Kids Can Dress Up for Fun
20 Inclusive Halloween Costumes To Ensure All Kids Can Dress Up for Fun
‘Accessible trick-or-treating’: Toronto designers help all kids experience Halloween
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/accessible-trick-or-treat-sign-for-kids-with-disabilities-1.4882404
Toronto father makes trick or treating inclusive with treat accessibility
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/toronto-father-makes-trick-or-treating-inclusive-with-treat-accessibly-1.4657678
(I have a sign like this at the end of my driveway)
How Families Use Blue Pumpkins on Halloween to Raise Awareness Around Autism Spectrum Disorders
The bright-colored gourd aims to teach neighbors how they can make impacted children’s night of candy-filled fun that much sweeter.
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/holidays/halloween-ideas/a37665391/blue-pumpkins-halloween-autism/
‘Sensory-friendly’ Santa helps children with autism ease into the holidays
‘Sensory-friendly’ Santa helps children with autism ease into the holidays
Easter Egg Hunt
https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/03/26/children-hunt-for-eggs-that-beep-perkins-school/hnviEutgDtq4jJzk9AJElL/story.html
Target, Disney Expand Costume Options For Those With Special Needs
Target, Disney Expand Costume Options For Those With Special Needs
A Call for why Holiday Movies Should Be Inclusive of People With Disabilities (Guest Column)
https://variety.com/2020/film/opinion/holiday-christmas-movies-disabilities-1234850127/
Other examples of those ‘modelling the way’ include teachers, parents, and siblings going above and beyond to enable greater inclusion:
Entire school learns sign language to welcome deaf kindergartner
https://www.cbs46.com/entire-school-learns-sign-language-to-welcome-deaf-kindergartner/article_e90a2919-8306-525c-b3e3-dbd3a466b1cf.html?
A teacher creates glitter glue hearing aids and cochlear implants for dolls to make her deaf students feel represented
A young man with Cerebral Palsy is skateboarding for the first time with a little ingenuity and a lot of his mother’s love.
https://globalnews.ca/video/6076085/mom-helps-son-with-cerebral-palsy-learn-to-skateboard
Sibling brings the party to her brother
Check out this weapon…! I would have a beer with my wheelchair brother anytime, anywhere. And shoutouts to his sis for being such a legend 🍻🍻🍻 pic.twitter.com/zepmksIxWI
— Dylan Alcott (@DylanAlcott) May 21, 2020
There are also TONS of stories where persons with disabilities have advocated for greater access and inclusion by modelling behaviours, ideas and actions.
Check out the stories about Lonnie Bissonnette from St. Catharines my hometown of St. Catharines who BASE jumps from his wheelchair (after a jump from a bridge in Idaho as an able bodied BASE jumper left him paralyzed).
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/hamilton/para-bobsledding-lonnie-bissonnette-1.5478670
OR the four individuals showcased in the Shopify Studios ‘Born This Way’ that chronicles the lives of four entrepreneurs with disabilities. Being your own boss isn’t easy, but these entrepreneurs tackle the challenge with grace, courage, and a sense of humor. This must-watch series reveals an insider’s look at what it takes to run a small business.
https://www.shopify.com/born-for-business
OR Marueen Beck profiled in the video ‘Stumped’
“I don’t want to be known as just a one-armed climber,” says Maureen Beck, “I just want to be a good climber.” Maureen Beck may have been born missing her lower left arm, but that hasn’t stopped her from going hard. She takes whippers on 5.12 and crushes overhanging boulders, while shot-gunning beers. But she is not here to be your inspiration. “People say, ‘Look, a one-armed climber, now I have no excuses.’ I’m like, dude, you never had any excuses in the first place.” Maureen is here to crush the gnar — with one bloody stump helping her get to the top.
OR local legend Christian Bagg the Founder of Bowhead. Has spent years developing the Bowhead RX. C
FINDING GOLD at TROUT LAKE || OFFICIAL TEASER TRAILER #4k #drone #dronefootage
OR Melissa Simpson who was born with cerebral palsy and with the help of her friend and mentor, blind adventurer Erik Weihenmayer, set out to conquer something far greater than a summit.
Makers Making Change
https://makersmakingchange.com/about-us/
OR fashion designer Mindy Scheier who was inspired by her son, who was born with a degenerative disorder that makes it hard for him to dress himself or wear clothing with buttons or zippers. Scheier set out to make clothing that works for everyone, including the differently abled. Learn more about how she’s made fashion history by producing the world’s first mainstream adaptive clothing line.
OR companies like ‘Degree’ that Launched ‘Accessible Deodorant To Serve People With Disabilities’
https://www.forbes.com/sites/soniathompson/2021/04/30/degree-launches-accessible-deodorant-to-serve-people-with-disabilities/?sh=7bae84084def
OR Purdy’s who made a box of chocolates with Braille so you don’t pick the cherry filled one!
OR Zwift who added disabled athlete representation to platform after completing a large research study. The virtual cycling platform has partnered with the Challenged Athletes Foundation to launch Adaptive Athlete Representation
https://www.cyclingweekly.com/news/zwift-will-add-disabled-athlete-representation-to-platform-after-completing-large-research-study?
OR the Seattle Kraken who hired intersectionality consultant, Chanel Keenan, who has a one-of-a-kind role in the NHL. Now, she’s working to ensure it’s not so unique in the future.
https://www.sportsnet.ca/longform/why-the-seattle-krakens-chanel-keenan-is-exactly-what-hockey-needs/
OR Sesame Workshop’s who has a new Muppet character, Ameera,who uses a wheelchair and arm crutches
https://www.pennlive.com/life/2022/04/sesame-workshops-new-muppet-character-ameera-uses-a-wheelchair-and-arm-crutches.html?
All of these are just examples of where people, groups and organizations modelled the way!
‘Leveraging’, the second L, means working with others who have similar approaches and values. Are there other individuals or organizations to partner with locally, provincially, or nationally? If not, are they simply unknown and how can you find them? Part of the reason why a practicum is encouraged for this class is to expand your knowledge of organizations in the local community that you can eventually partner with.
As one example a global disabilities map is trying to visualize the strength and power of millions of athletes around the world by showing them who they can leverage.
https://theconversation.com/global-disabilities-map-visualizes-the-strength-and-power-of-millions-of-athletes-around-the-world-147723
‘Literature’ means writing down what we believe. Letters to the editor or politicians advocating for the inclusion of persons with disabilities can be an effective practice, particularly if leveraged with others. Keep in mind that these 5 L’s were presented before the advent of social media so we can likely also include tweets, videos, tiktok (and whatever other platforms are out there that I have never heard of)! Octavia Spencer wanted a change so she called on Hollywood in writing to increase the casting of people with disabilities.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/26/entertainment/octavia-spencer-americans-with-disabilities-act-anniversary/index.html
Dr. Arbour from the University of Toronto also recently published the Canadian Practices in Inclusive Recreation. By putting this into print, other government leaders can see what their peers are doing and grade themselves appropriately.
https://ala.ca/canadian-practices-in-inclusive-recreation
When Decathalon came to Calgary they didn’t necessarily write articles about inclusion – but they showed it in their signage.
‘Legislation’ is the fourth step, whereby access and inclusion are supported by government policy. Do we know what the policies are locally? Ontario now has the AODA “Ontarians with a disability act” and Federally we now have an Accessibility Act. Will these change the way persons with disabilities live their day to day lives? In class we will talk about the Accessibility Act being prepared in BC.
https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2017/02/09/qualtrough-pushes-for-accessibility-despite-cost.html
A new ministry in New Zealand for instance has set out to improve services and accessibility for New Zealanders living with disabilities
https://theconversation.com/a-new-ministry-sets-out-to-improve-services-and-accessibility-for-new-zealanders-living-with-disabilities-171099
And Israel’s Minister made headlines when she couldn’t participate in the COP26 meetings in the summer of 2021 because she used a wheelchair
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-59128618?
And there will always be places where you can fight the good fight. Laurentian University for instance had a policy that banned he inclusion of a guide dog and it took a student with a visual impairment to challenge and question this policy.
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/laurentian-guide-dog-dilemma-1.5394398?
The last step, if nothing else works, is ‘litigation’, whereby we can use the strength of the courts to support the pursuit of access.
As but one example a senior in British Columbia who was called a ‘loser’ for demanding accessibility in their condo building won $35K
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-human-rights-tribunal-accessibility-1.5727424
The final consideration is that there may also be examples where inclusion may not be something you want to support it. One example could be whether a person with Down Syndrome should be allowed to compete in Mixed Martial Arts.
I have to admit I have mixed feelings about this too ,but I also admire those who advocate for the athlete’s inclusion.
Finally – none of this should be done without acknowledging that it also makes good business sense – as I’ve already highlighted SEVERAL times in this course.
Study: Adapted Sports Generate Up to $134 Million in Annual Impact The new economic survey is one of the first of its kind to study adapted and para sports
Self-reflection
Using ALL of the 5 l’s (but not from the examples presented in this unit) please describe the steps can you take in your future professional career to advocate for greater inclusion of persons with disabilities?
UNIT 4: Technology
Unit 4: Technology
Complicating the discussions of inclusion for high-performance athletes such as Oscar Pistorius and inclusion, and in general, are quickly advancing technologies. Technology is perhaps the great equalizer and has, and will likely continue, to change the way people with disabilities can participate i sport, recreation and physical activity. The following are a few examples of how this is happening:
Disability tech
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/w3csy66r
Fast Company
http://www.fastcodesign.com/3027334/innovation-by-design/the-winter-paralympics-are-the-worlds-best-showcase-of-sports-technolog#3
Lego prosthetic leg
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57591961-1/legoleg-woman-builds-self-a-prosthetic-leg-from-legos/
General Science
http://scienceline.org/topic/para-2016
Deaf Curling Technology
https://winnipegsun.com/curling/deaf-nova-scotia-curler-uses-high-tech-resources-to-communicate-with-teammates-at-scotties?
Smart Canes for persons with visual impairments
https://mypositiveoutlooks.com/smart-cane-that-has-google-maps-bluetooth/?
https://www.boredpanda.com/blind-engineer-invents-smart-cane-wewalk/?
Hiking Wheelchair
https://www.npr.org/2019/12/06/784888991/hiking-wheelchair-opens-up-outdoor-lifestyle-to-people-with-serious-disabilities?
Mind-controlled robotic suit
https://news.sky.com/story/paralysed-man-walks-again-using-mind-controlled-robotic-suit-11826849?
https://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/paralyzed-man-walks-1.5308739?
Wheelchair Racing Gloves
https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/ct-biz-wheelchair-race-gloves-arielle-rausin-chicago-marathon-20191009-l6nulamh6varnfd6cbcju62rq4-story.html?
Tech and Rocky Mountain Adapted
Zippable BILLY Footwear
https://billyfootwear.com/
This baby giraffe in the San Diego Zoo just got new leg braces, so that she could walk on her own. This the moment she took her first steps.https://twitter.com/Goodable/status/1525241980028039169
Giraffe calf walks tall after getting leg brace
https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/giraffe-zoo-san-diego-braces-1.6452003?
Corporations are also seeing the value of focusing on technology for persons with disabilities.
Microsoft Commercials
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XA_uCCjnVo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QuTOFgCa07M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UqNw1mvTXcMicrosoft is further committed to revolutionizing access to technology for people living with disabilities in any number of ways.https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/accessibility?rtc=1Accessibility 101: Introduction to disability and accessibility with Microsoft
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSKM9uIhS6B77RX56JwUJSw
Microsoft Enable Youtube Channel
https://www.youtube.com/user/MSFTEnable/featuredStoryboard18 | Game Changer: How Microsoft is driving disability consciousness
https://www.cnbctv18.com/storyboard18/storyboard18-game-changer-how-microsoft-is-driving-disability-consciousness-11824712.htm
Google
https://www.google.org/impactchallenge/disabilities/
Apple
Apple Launching New Accessibility Features For Those With Disabilities
Samsung
http://digitalsport.co/samsung-presents-the-blind-cap-for-paralympic-swimmers#
BMW
http://money.cnn.com/2016/04/27/technology/bmw-racing-wheelchair/index.html
http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/olympics/rio-2016/2016/04/27/bmw-unveils-carbon-fiber-chair-rio-paralympians/83563142/
F1
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1109735/australia-wheelchair-basketball-f1-seats
Credit: “Oscar Pistorius chasing Johnnie Peacock at the London 2012 Paralympic Games” by Andy Miah © 2012 CC BY-NC 2.0
This list is only a short one and we will see others in a future Unit that focuses on Marketing.
I would also guess that this is just a start of a much larger trend and it’s fascinating to think about a future vision of the intersection between technology, sport, society, and persons with disabilities.
Meet the robots for humanity, TED Talk
3D printing
http://www.vocativ.com/money/industry/prosthetic-boom-3d-printed-mind-controlled-limbs/
Cybathon
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-26766095
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-12-01/what-can-we-bring-home-from-the-‘bionic-olympics’/8074324
http://www.bbc.com/news/technology-37605984
Robots
https://www.fastcompany.com/90465363/japans-biggest-airline-is-building-a-robot-army-for-the-most-high-tech-olympics-yet?
World’s first official Paralympic video game launched
https://www.paralympic.org/news/world-s-first-official-paralympic-video-game-launched
Virtual reality changing healthcare
Ping Pong Parkinson has announced the launch of Ping Pong Parkinson’s Virtual Reality World Championships slated for April 11, 2021.
https://www.sportanddev.org/en/article/news/virtual-reality-changing-healthcare
Scientists can hack your nerves so artificial limbs feel lighterhttps://www.fastcompany.com/90597527/scientists-can-hack-your-nerves-so-artificial-limbs-feel-lighter?partner=rss&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=rss+fastcompany&utm_content=rssWorld
Athletics panel rules Leeper would gain “competitive advantage” using running specific prostheses
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1107139/world-athletics-leeper-ruling
Girl born without arms chasing her dream as a ballerina
https://www.cnn.com/videos/world/2021/02/12/brazil-ballerina-born-without-arms-orig-bdk.cnn?fbclid=IwAR3eigNqUWLmcwNoVoF6lFeh5NotoYoL847lVsnoXjTqzE413fFJM3slpHg
“Happiness does not find at the top of the mountain, but in the way of climbing it.” Adapted Freestyle skiing
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/joe-millage-551b89b_motivation-inspiration-handicap-activity-6767505577112403968-EslK
Unique technology helps former Humboldt Bronco rehabilitate, return to hockeyhttps://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/article/unique-technology-helps-former-humboldt-bronco-rehabilitate-return-hockey/Accessibility In the Age of Technology: Thanks to the abilities of the Start-Up Nation, Access Israel is embracing technology to spearhead Israel’s transformation into a completely accessible country
https://www.haaretz.com/haaretz-labels/power/1.10329798MScGaming for Inclusion Event Brings Special Olympics Athletes Together for Esports Fun and Competition
https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2021/09/23/gaming-for-inclusion-event-brings-special-olympics-athletes-together-for-esports-fun-and-competition/
Xbox and Special Olympics hold inaugural “Gaming for Inclusion” event
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1113205/xbox-special-olympics-esports-inclusion#.YUnNHQS9QwA.twitter
Gaming for Inclusion Esports Tournament Connects Athletes of All Abilities
https://www.athleticbusiness.com/operations/media-technology/article/15280297/gaming-for-inclusion-esports-tournament-connects-athletes-of-all-abilities
We use technology, knowledge and passion to empower Canadians with disabilities.
And this growth in technology and movement may not be just for people anymore!
There is also, however, the possibility that advances in technology will NOT be positive. In the story Digital Divides – Nothing about us, without us, ALL THINGS EQUAL technology is recognized as offering incredible, life-changing opportunities to people with disabilities… BUT only if they can use them. Otherwise, could the discrimination being faced by persons with disabilities get worse?
Does technology always help accessibility?
https://www.included.com/does-technology-always-help-accessibility/
Finally, nowhere has technology and persons with disabilities in sport been more controversial than in the realm of prosthetics which has already been referenced earlier in this module. I would guess, too that the complexity and controversy of this issue will only continue to grow.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/02/tech/innovation/prosthetics-mecha-athletes/index.html
https://olympics.nbcsports.com/2020/02/27/blake-leeper-double-amputee-prosthetic-legs-ineligible/?
To give us a baseline understanding of where this issue may turn, it is worth considering Oscar Pistorius’s case study, who was presented in an earlier unit. Do his prosthetic limbs from a technological perspective really present an unfair advantage? Would you ‘allow’ someone with the same prosthetics complete against those who are able bodied. Why? Why not? What would it take for you to decide?
http://www.livescience.com/15803-oscar-pistorius-prosthetic-limbs.html
CASE STUDY — Oscar Pistorius – By Dr. David Legg
(written in 2016 and updated below from 2022)
Before the fall: How the Olympic ambitions of Oscar Pistorius came with a price
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1127160/oscar-pistorius-london-2012-paralympics
As it relates to this issue of technology and Paralympic Sport — Oscar Pistorius is arguably the most famous athlete and while much of the controversy surrounding his prosthetic legs go back to 2008 his participation in the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the ongoing implications for the future make understanding his story all the more relevant and contemporary. The reputation noted above is a result of both his athletic prowess as a runner with two prosthetic legs and his notoriety for being one of the first athletes with a disability to compete in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Pistorius is also well known because he was banned from competing against able-bodied athletes, then had this decision overturned and has since been challenged in the court of public opinion as to whether or not he has an unfair advantage when racing against those with intact legs. Pistorius is also well known for the 2014 murder trial and conviction but for the purposes of this case study the focus will be his athletic achievements.
This issue has been examined from a number of realms including ableism (Campbell, 2001; Carlson, 2001; Miller, Parker, & Gillinson 2004; Wolbring, 2008), technology (Burkett, McNamee, & Potthast, 2011; Lechler & Lilja, 2008), ethics (Edwards, 2008; Hilvoorde & Landeweerd, 2008; McNamee, 2011), physiology (Jones & Wilson, 2009; Weyand, Bundle, McGowan, Grabowski, Brown, Kram, & Herr, 2009), sociology (Norman & Moola, 2009; Swartz & Watermeyer, 2008) but few (Campbell, 2001; Friedman & Norman, 2009) that we are aware of have addressed his participation from a sports law perspective which will be the purpose of this case study.
Background
Pistorius tried but ultimately did not qualify for the 2008 Olympic Games. Natalie du Toit, a compatriot of his, did, along with Natalia Partyka from Poland. These two athletes with disabilities, Natalie, a swimmer, and Natalia, a table tennis player, competed in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Beijing. All three then also competed in the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London. They are not, however, the first athletes to compete in both versions of the Games: Naroli Fairhall (archery), Paola Fantato (archery) and Marla Runyan (athletics) previously achieved that status with Fantato competing in the two Games during the same year (Legg, Burchell, Jarvis, & Sainsbury, 2009). Additionally, there have been athletes with disabilities competing in the Olympic Games since at least 1904, that being only the third version of the modern (Legg, Burchell, Jarvis, & Sainsbury, 2009).
Credit: “Natalia Partyka” by Ittfworld/Gaël Marziou © 2012 CC: BY 2.0
Pistorius, though, is by far the most well known among these; likely the result of his audacity to challenge the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) on their ruling regarding his eligibility to compete against non-disabled runners. This sparked a flurry of debate and a multitude of articles on the issue of equitable and fair competition. A Google search of his name on July 14, 2008 resulted in over 528,000 hits, indicative of the interest his case created. Runner’s World was just one magazine that featured stories on him including a technical summary of the independent study conducted on his legs for the IAAF (Legg, Burchell, Jarvis, & Sainsbury, 2009).
Before delving into the issue of Pistorius’s legal position, however, it is necessary to return to his childhood and then to 2007, a year prior to the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Pistorius was born in South Africa without a fibula in both legs and had his legs amputated at 11 months of age below the knees. After a childhood of typical sporting pursuits he set his sights on running and in particular as a 400-metre runner. He was close to qualifying for the South African team in 2008 when the IAAF, tracks’ governing body, ruled that his prosthetics gave him an unfair advantage over able-bodied runners. The decision to not allow Pistorius to compete was reached in an email vote by the 27-member IAAF council. The vote was not disclosed but was believed to be unanimous (Associated Press, 2008).
Indicative of the IAAF’s attitude was a comment made in 2007. “With all due respect, we cannot accept something that provides advantage,” said Elio Locatelli of Italy, the director of development for the IAAF urging Pistorius to concentrate on the Paralympics. “It affects the purity of the sport. Next will be another device where people can fly with something on their back” (Longman, 2007).
In 2007, the IAAF introduced an amendment to its rules, requiring that any device used by an athlete must not provide an advantage over other athletes who do not have the device. IAAF Rule 144.2, related to the use of “technical aids: during a competition,” prohibits “(e) Use of any technical device that incorporates springs, wheels or any other element that provides the user with an advantage over another athlete not using such a device” (IAAF.org).
It is important to note that the IAAF did not have, nor contemplate, a ban on prosthetic limbs but rather technical aids. The aim of the rule change was not (according to the IAAF) an attempt to prevent disabled athletes from using any artificial limbs or competing against able-bodied athletes if they were good enough to do so (IAAF, 2007).
To help provide further clarity to the specific issue of Oscar Pistorius, the IAAF asked German professor Gert-Peter Bruggemann at German Sport University / Institute of Biomechanics and Orthopedics to assess the carbon-fibre Cheetah Flex Feet (Epstein, 2012). Pistorius worked with Bruggemann in Cologne for two days of testing on November 12 and 13, 2007, to learn to what extent the J-shaped carbon fibre extensions to his amputated legs differed from the legs of an able-bodied runner. Bruggemann found that Pistorius was able to run at the same speed as able-bodied runners at about a quarter less energy. He also found that once a runner hit a certain stride, athletes with artificial limbs needed less additional energy than able-bodied athletes. Bruggemann concluded that the returned energy from the prosthetic was close to three times higher than with the human ankle joint in maximum sprinting (Epstein, 2012).
It was based on these findings that the IAAF ruled against Pistorius in his bid to compete against able-bodied runners.
Challenges to the ruling were expressed immediately. Robert Gailey, an associate professor of physical therapy at the University of Miami, who has studied amputee runners, asked about the IAAF if “they were looking at not having an unfair advantage? Or are they discriminating because of the purity of the Olympics, because they don’t want to see a disabled man line up against an able-bodied man for fear that if the person who doesn’t have the perfect body wins, what does that say about the image of man?” (Longman, 2007). Others questioned the definition of a foot. “The rule book says a foot has to be in contact with the starting block,” Leon Fleiser, general manager of the South African Olympic Committee, said, “but what is the definition of a foot? Is a prosthetic device a foot, or is it an actual foot?” (Longman, 2007). Ossur, the prosthetic company from Iceland that sponsored Pistorius and was the maker of his prosthesis, publicly stated that the Cheetah legs were in fact passive devices that did not generate any power movement only returning a percentage of kinetic energy put into them. Lastly, disadvantages of the prosthetics not addressed by the IAAF according to Pistorius’s coach Ampie Louw included a “cumbersome start, needing about 30 metres to gain rhythm, knees not flexing as readily thus limiting power output unsure grip in the rain, and headwinds creating rotational forces that turn the prosthetics sideways” (Longman, 2007).
Eventually Pistorius decided to challenge the decision himself, formally submitting an appeal to the Court of Arbitration in Sport (CAS). He was represented by Jeffrey Kessler, a Manhattan lawyer well known in the United States for negotiating collective bargaining agreements on behalf of the NFL and NBA players (Sokolove, 2012).
After hearing the case, the CAS 3-member panel unanimously determined on May 16, 2008, that the prosthetics did not offer a competitive advantage thus giving Pistorius the right to pursue inclusion on South Africa’s Olympic team. They determined that Dr. Bruggemann tested Pistorius’s biomechanics only at full-speed when he was running in a straight line (unlike a real 400 m race); that the report did not consider the disadvantages that Pistorius suffered at the start and acceleration phases of the race; and that overall there was no evidence that he had any net advantage over able-bodied athletes. The CAS further found that rule 144.2 appeared to have been introduced with Pistorius in mind and so considered the appeal both on the grounds of technical advantage and on discriminatory grounds. The burden of proof rested with the IAAF to show that on the balance of probability such an advantage existed. The court concluded that there was no evidence to support the claim (Klein, 2008; Miah, 2008). On the question of whether the Cheetah blades were springs, the arbitrator wrote “A natural human leg is itself a spring. The report was most critical of the IAAF process itself which it said went off the rails and all but called it a kangaroo court” (Sokolove, 2012).
What the CAS used to help make their decision was a second study conducted by several researchers at Rice University in Houston with the results published in the June issue of the Journal of Applied Physiology (Weyand, Bundle, McGowan, Grabowski, Brown, Kram, & Herr, 2009). At that time the authors who conducted the tests did not agree on whether the prostheses gave Pistorius an unfair advantage (Stein, 2009). The panel also said that the data showed Pistorius used the same oxygen amounts and fatigued normally. It criticized the IAAF for seeking out possible isolated advantages that Pistorius derived from this prosthesis while disregarding disadvantages. The correct measure for determining his eligibility, it said, should be whether he has an overall net advantage over the whole of the race.
Following the CAS ruling two of the researchers, Herr and Weyand, who were involved in the initial assessments at Rice published a follow-up article in the Journal of Applied Physiology in September 2009. In it they noted that Pistorius was similar to an intact-limb runner physiologically but not similar mechanically. The paper was silent, however, as to the implications of the dissimilarity. Since then Weyand has stated that Pistorius is at an advantage largely based on the lightness of the prosthetic versus an intact leg, an issue that was not part of the initial conversations between the IAAF and CAS. Weyand and a colleague, Matthew Bundle from the University of Montana, who was also involved in the initial Rice study, then built upon this issue in a subsequent article that was dismissed by Herr in a point, counterpoint article with Bundle (Weyand & Bundle, 2009; Kram, Grabowski, McGowan, Brown, & Herr, 2009.
Regardless, Pistorius was free to pursue trying to attain the qualifying times needed to make the South African Olympic team. He did not, however, meet the required qualifying time of 45.95 seconds but he did compete in the 2008 Paralympic Games in the 100 m, 200 m and 400 m events; where he won three gold medals. He then failed to meet the qualifying standards for the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Berlin.
Pistorius continued to train and competed in a number of able-bodied races in the summer of 2011 posting three times under 46 seconds, but it was at the 19th Internazionale di Atletica Sports Solidarity Meeting in Lignano, Italy, on July 19th that he set a personal best of 45.07 seconds in the 400 m, attaining the World Championships and Olympic Games “A” standard qualification mark.
A few months later at the 2011 IAAF World Championships in Daegu, Korea he reached the semifinals. A year later on July 4th, 2012, the South African Sports Confederation and Olympic Committee (SASCOC) announced that Pistorius had been included in the Olympic team for the 400 m and the 4 × 400 m relay races.
At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Pistorius became the first double-leg amputee to participate in the Olympics when he entered the men’s 400 m race and was part of South Africa’s 4 × 400 m relay team. For his efforts, Pistorius was asked to be his country’s flag bearer for the closing ceremonies and received media interest from mainstream sports media including Sports Illustrated in the United States (Epstein, 2012).
Two weeks later Pistorius carried his country’s flag at the opening ceremony of the 2012 Summer Paralympics on 29 August. He entered the men’s 100 m, 200 m and 400 m races. In the 200 m competition Pistorius established a new world record of 21.30 seconds in a preliminary heat but was defeated in the final the next day by Alan Oliveira of Brazil. Pistorius took silver, and then created a controversy, and to many, irony, by complaining about the length of Oliveira’s blades. Pistorius claimed his opponent had an advantage because of the length of his carbon-fibre blades. Pistorius’ remarks set off a firestorm of debate over what became widely known on Twitter as “#bladegate” (Brown, 2012). Pistorius apologized for the timing of his remarks, but not the content of his complaint.
What occurred throughout Pistorius’s participation in both Games were competing perspectives as to whether his prosthetics did, in fact, give him an advantage. As before some suggested that while certain elements of the prosthetics might provide advantages there were still other elements not being addressed that could disadvantage him. Aligned with this then was the recognition that there was not an appropriate algorithm that could account for all of these potentially inter-related items. Herr, the director of the Biomechanics Group at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and another member of the group who conducted research at Rice University described Pistorius as a “mutant,” an “absolute freak” meaning he is like all other extraordinary athletes and therefore possessed of physical gifts not normally found in the general population. To Herr, Pistorius’s prosthetics were dumb – there’s no neural command. There’s no feedback. His legs are not bionic — far from it. It’s like running on a mattress. It’s hard. It’s not an advantage (Sokolove, 2012). Others meanwhile challenged his participation on ethical and moral grounds with the “jury still out” as to whether he can, will or should compete against able-bodied athletes. What remains unspoken was his legal right to compete.
Discussion
What has resulted from Pistorius’s participation are likely more questions than answers with many focusing on the ethical and practical implications for sport.
One question is, why is it that in sport, when people with disabilities become more gifted or talented than able-bodied people, there is an uproar? In other areas, such as education or the arts, successful people with disabilities are celebrated rather than questioned. Perhaps there is something about the nature of sport, and those who organize it, that lends itself to this unique phenomenon (Hums, Wolff, & Legg, in print).
Second, one of the reasons why Pistorius’s case seems to have captivated a large audience may be that his example has reached the “tipping point” in that a far greater number of sports leaders are beginning to ask fundamental questions regarding sport vis-à-vis disabilities, especially regarding the inclusion of athletes with a disability in a regular competition (Legg, Burchell, Jarvis, & Sainsbury, 2009).
A third question is, where should athletes with disabilities compete at the international level? Presently, athletes with disabilities can compete in either the Paralympic or Olympic Games as long as they meet the criteria set out by sport governing bodies. The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) constitution notes that participation be open to those “who cannot reasonably participate in able-bodied competitions” (International Paralympic Committee, 2008). In the case of Pistorius, he was originally denied the opportunity to compete against able-bodied competitors because of the perception of advantage. Does this matter in the eyes of the IPC definition noted above? A follow-up question is then, should athletes with a disability be able to compete in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games? Does competing in one relegate the other to a second rate status or can both be seen as equal yet different? Even further, is the separation of the two Games and movements morally suspect at its very core (Legg, Burchell, Jarvis & Sainsbury, 2009; Miah, 2008)?
In a fulsome debate around inclusion, its polar opposite, exclusion, must also be carefully examined. The IPC perhaps needs to create a process for exclusion of a sport, mirroring the one they have for inclusion. Within the context of sport development, if a sport has developed at all levels to be fully inclusive, including the Olympic Games, should it remain on the program of the Paralympic Games? As a consequence of sport development maturity, that is, fully inclusive, the sport could then be excluded from future editions of the Paralympic Games. This would create space for new sports and different categories of athletes with disabilities who currently have few or no opportunities to participate in the Paralympic Games. Archery and shooting are sport examples; while longer distances in swimming and track for athletes with visual impairments, as well as certain athletics disciplines for arm amputees, are examples of events where the level of impairment may be immaterial to their performance.
A fourth question is, where does this discussion lead, especially considering technological advancements? What will come of nanotechnology, 3D printing, and biomedical engineering, in particular as it relates to athletes with disabilities? Will athletes with disabilities be referred to as bionic (Miah, 2008) or super-abled (Adelson, 2008)? And if yes, how does this impact their ability to compete against the able-bodied? Within the next century, a league of disabled athletes who will outperform able-bodied competitors may well become a reality.
How is a prosthetic different from other forms of technological enhancement or technology doping such as the LRZ swimsuit, pre-emptive Lasik eye surgery, and carbon sole shoe implants (Anderson, 2008)? The dictionary defines a prosthetic as “a device, either external or implanted, that substitutes for or supplements a missing or defective part of the body. By that measure, prosthetics are already used in sports. A swim cap is a prosthetic; it smoothes the “defective” surface of a swimmer’s head, making it more hydrodynamic. USA Track and Field has worked with Nike to test carbon sole shoe implants that harness energy normally lost when a runner’s foot pushes off. Americans wore the shoes in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games, meaning able-bodied sprinters have already used the type of carbon-infused prosthetic that got Pistorius banned (Adelson, 2008). And will a society that is obsessed with “dying their hair, squeezing Botox into their ageing bodies or fudging taxes” (Blair, 2008, R. 3) even care?
Ultimately, the reality of modern sport means there is not a level playing field in international competition. Sometimes a competitor will defy the odds based only on their determination, effort and natural talent, things that all successful athletes need. Most international champions, however, come from countries where their sport has the money, facilities, competition structure and cultural attention needed to propel them to the top levels. These things do not determine winners but they are usually necessary if you allow an assistive device. If Pistorius is allowed to compete can the argument then be made that athletes using wheelchairs should also be included? Another perspective is that we allow technological advances in many sports including cycling, such as permitting athletes to sleep in tents that simulate high altitudes and thus increase oxygen-carrying capacity. Should we require that all pieces of equipment and clothing for competition and or training be exactly the same?
Legal Issues
These questions certainly include legal implications but what has not occurred to date is an in-depth focus on this area. One recent example that might be able to shed light on future legal issues related to Pistorius is professional golfer Casey Martin who, through a lawsuit that successfully used the Americans with Disabilities Act, was given the right to use a golf cart to compete in Professional Golfers Association (PGA) events in the United States(Friedman & Norman, 2009; Pickering-Francis, 2007). “It is important to stress that the legal ruling need not be synonymous with ethical judgment. Indeed one of the first lessons in jurisprudence relates to the principle that the law is neither moral nor immoral, but rather amoral” (Burkett, McNamee, & Potthast, 2011, p. 649).
The second area of guidance is the World Anti-Doping Agency which uses three criteria from which to deem if something should be banned in a sporting contest: It must be against the spirit of the sport, offer an unfair advantage and be performance-enhancing and potentially harmful to health. It is interesting that the prosthetics according to some researchers satisfied the first two of the criteria and thus should be banned (Friedman & Norman, 2009).
UNIT 1: Facility Accessibility
Unit 1: Sport, Recreation, or Fitness Facility Accessibility
Module 6 focuses on the accessibility of our built environment.
I have an I.D.E.A.
Inclusion = Diversity and Equity.
To achieve Diversity and Equity, you must have an Accessible environment–and vice versa. So this is clearly an important module (as they all are).
Think of your own academic institution’s recreation, fitness, and athletic facilities. What could be done to make them more inclusive and or accessible? In particular, think about things like lighting, the front desk, change rooms, water fountains, fitness equipment, doors, sight-lines, amenities, and showers. Are these accessible to persons of varying disabilities? Also, try to think beyond the sometimes more obvious accessibility issues that pertain to mobility. What other accessibility issues might there be for other populations? Consider too, that what we might think is accessible from an able bodied person’s perspective may not be.
Accessibility: The missing key to connecting with customers Four brands talk accessibility and disability inclusiveness and how to build it
https://www.fastcompany.com/90774849/accessibility-the-missing-key-to-connecting-with-customers
What I’m hoping comes from this module is an understanding of Inclusive Design which is an approach that seeks to ensure everyone can experience the world in a fair and equal way. This means accounting for and celebrating diversity in how we design and plan the built environment. To begin feel free to check out the following webinar that discusses just this process:
https://www.disabilityinnovation.com/webinars/inclusive-design
This note was handed to Ibby Piracha when he entered Starbucks. He’s been Deaf since the age of two. Each morning, he stops by his local Starbucks with his coffee order written on his phone to show the cashier. But on this day, the barista, Krystal Payne, began signing to him asking what he’d like to order. She then handed him this note. Ibby later wrote about his experience: “We chatted in sign for about 2 minutes and I learnt that she had spent hours watching YouTube videos just so that she could take my order the way she does for everybody else. I haven’t felt so equal in all of my life.”
I am also not naïve to the challenges in making our world more accessible. One commonly stated challenge when considering accessibility is cost-benefit analyses, with many arguing that access for a few is not worth the price to many. The reality though is that, as Elsie Roy states, when we design for access we actually design for all:
The following three articles from Athletic Business also reaffirm this belief and that it’s a positive cost-benefit return of investment when we’re accessible.
Brown, N. (2008, October). As budgets shrink, rec agencies struggle to accommodate disabled. Athletic Business.com.
http://www.athleticbusiness.com/recreation/as-budgets-shrink-rec-agencies-struggle-to-accommodate-disabled.html
Attwood, E. (2013, June). Adaptive recreation and fitness facilities set an example for all. AthleticBusiness.com.
http://www.athleticbusiness.com/fitness-training/adaptive-recreation-and-fitness-facilities-set-an-example-for-all.html
Cohen, A. (2013, January). Active design spurs people toward movement and exercise. AthleticBusiness.com.
http://www.athleticbusiness.com/health-fitness/active-design-spurs-people-toward-movement-and-exercise.html
There is also an economic argument for those who promote accessibility. Several individuals, for instance, have started companies that mentor and advise businesses on how to be more accessible:
Pedesting
https://pedesting.com/posts/publicpolicy
Level Playing Field
The ‘Darby’: Calgary woman with cerebral palsy inspires a line of shoes
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/darby-cerebral-palsy-fluevog-shoes-1.5454191
Universal Access
https://www.universalaccess.me/
Is your building or business really accessible?
https://newscoopyyc.coop/building-an-inclusive-economy/
The Rick Hansen Institute, based in Vancouver, has also created a new accessibility certificate and is now partnering with a number of post-secondary institutions (including UFV) and cities to help them become more accessible
https://www.rickhansen.com/become-accessible
https://powered.athabascau.ca/product?catalog=Accessibility
And of course there are also many other similar types of companies nationally. One example is Designable who’s goal is “to develop functional, safe and dignified environments which appropriately accommodate all members of society, including people with disabilities and older people.”
http://designable.ca/
Another site I came across that I thought was really interesting was Stalled! where a group of engineers and designers have tried to create the first FULLY inclusive washroom appropriate for EVERYONE.
Safe, sustainable and inclusive public restrooms for everyone regardless of age, gender, race, religion and disability.
https://www.stalled.online/
The task for this module is to mimic what a lot of these organizations do and assess a space of your choice as to its’ accessibility. To help you have a benchmark from which to start I’ve listed some good examples.
Outdoor Spaces / Playgrounds / Parks
Calgary park transformed into inclusive area for blind and visually impaired skateboarders
https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/calgary-park-transformed-into-inclusive-area-for-blind-and-visually-impaired-skateboarders-1.5522088?cid=sm%3Atrueanthem%3Actvcalgary%3Atwitterpost&taid=60fd2f1bb782550001d00bb8Facilities
Variety Village (Toronto)
http://www.varietyontario.ca/
Lakeshore Centre (Birmingham)
Abilities Centre (Oshawa)
http://www.abilitiescentre.org/home
Planet Fitness to Begin Including Inclusive Fitness Equipment in Its Clubs
https://www.clubindustry.com/industry-news/planet-fitness-begin-including-inclusive-fitness-equipment-its-clubs?
One of Australia’s oldest surf lifesaving clubs is transformed to double its capacity for community and surf lifesaver training. The redesign makes the club fully accessible and inclusive for the first time in its 113-year history. People in wheelchairs can now be lifesavers. This has been so successful in just three months of operation that Coogee SLSC is set to become the pilot site for a state-wide initiative training surf lifesavers of different abilities for other clubs around New South Wales
https://iaks.sport/news/coogee-surf-life-saving-club-clubhouse-coogee-nsw-australia
A father built an accessible ODR for his son to play sled hockey!
How incredible is this?!
A father built an accessible ODR for his son to play sled hockey!
(🎥: IG/silas_saga via @NHL) pic.twitter.com/XGsO16yyln
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) January 4, 2022
Sesame Place Is the World’s First Autism-Certified Theme Park
https://www.purewow.com/news/sesame-place-certified-autism-center?
A future for parks
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/parks-of-future-may-include-elevated-walkways-through-trees
Making parks accessible
https://www.mtroyal.ca/AboutMountRoyal/MediaRoom/Stories/making-canadas-parks-the-most-inclusive-in-the-world.htm
Diversity, Inclusion, and Accessibility: Parks Canada as a partner and a leader in inclusion, diversity, accessibility, and reconciliation in protected and heritage places
https://www.letstalkparkscanada.ca/discussion-papers/diversity
Innovative ideas for playgrounds? But are they accessible?
https://www.archdaily.com/927084/designing-school-playgrounds-architecture-for-learning-outside-the-classroom/5db1c4883312fdea7a00013a-designing-school-playgrounds-architecture-for-learning-outside-the-classroom-photo?
A New Adventure Guide for People with Disabilities
New ‘playground-for-all’ will let kids with and without disabilities play side-by-side in Sacramento
https://www.abc10.com/article/news/local/sacramento/sacramento-playground-for-all/103-8b255941-e740-46f8-86bd-6b4c9195d550
@UNWTO
#Accessibility and #Inclusive #Tourism #Development in #Nature Areas – Compendium of Best Practices
https://e-unwto.org/doi/10.18111/9789284422777
RICK HANSEN FOUNDATION: A GUIDE TO CREATING ACCESSIBLE PLAY SPACES
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/59a5b44ed7bdce6f285fe67b/t/60c13fc595190e381ee9223f/1623277531928/sch-35913-guide-creating-accessible-play-spacesen2020web.pdf
Making the Outdoors More Accessible Takes All of Us From non-profits to trail builders, organizations around the outdoors are working to make the simple pleasure of a day in the woods available to everyone. And they need your help.
GRIT Freedom Chair – The All-Terrain Wheelchair Built for Adventure
https://www.gogrit.us/?
Para-athletes working with Trans Canada Trail to improve accessibility across the network
‘It comes down to equality and having equal access to the same opportunities as our abled counterparts when it comes to getting outside’
https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/para-athletes-working-with-trans-canada-trail-to-improve-accessibility-across-the-network
Create an Inclusive Play Experience
https://recmanagement.com/featured-content/202108QA01
THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO SKIBIG3 ACCESSIBILITY
Travel / Tourism
Accessibility for all. The world isn’t designed for everyone in mind. Millions of places all around the world are still inaccessible to people with disabilities. That’s why we’re building a movement that celebrates access by connecting people to inclusive, welcoming places for all.
How Jerusalem Is Becoming More Accessible to Visitors With Disabilities
The city has installed ramps to make its stone streets wheelchair accessible and made improvements to nearly four miles of its alleyways.
https://www.travelandleisure.com/travel-news/jerusalem-wheelchair-accessibility
16 accessible holidays in Ireland recommended by wheelchair users and their families
https://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/travel/arid-40785420.html
First Winnebago Accessibility Enhanced Roam Camper Van Hits the Open Road
https://www.abilities.com/community/accessible-camper-van.html
Best-selling author and disability advocate applauds Royal BC Museum’s orcas exhibit
Accessible Travel
https://mashable.com/article/wheel-the-world-accessible-travel/?
ACCESSIBLE TOURISM IDENTIFIED AS ‘GAME CHANGER’ FOR DESTINATIONS
https://www.unwto.org/news/accessible-tourism-identified-as-game-changer-for-destinations
Lego Ramps – accessible travel in Germany
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-lego-ramps-germany-idUSKBN20D1PU?fbclid=IwAR3x1-BY0JhRA9VZlwvb2I1BmuTH9wGUrgHiVuoyD9Wg6SVRHknVzLoV_vs
Europe’s most accessible city?
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2019/may/28/people-arent-disabled-their-city-is-inside-europes-most-accessible-city?
Will New York City Become the Most Accessible City in the World?
6 Ways Travel Has Become More Accessible During the Pandemic. For travellers with disabilities, these shifts make a world of difference.
https://www.cntraveler.com/story/travel-has-become-more-accessible-during-the-pandemic
Acropolis to Become Entirely Accessible to Disabled For First Time
https://greece.greekreporter.com/2020/11/02/acropolis-to-become-entirely-accessible-to-disabled-for-first-time/amp
Accessible Travel for Real. Find accessible travel experiences that meet your personal accessibility needs and explore without limits
https://gowheeltheworld.com/
Wheel the World. To celebrate the launch of our new website, we are sharing this video. It’s our new anthem. It’s a representation of what we do and why we do it. We hope it moves you as much as it moved us.
https://bit.ly/3rStoL
Revamped White House Website Aims For Inclusivity And Accessibility
https://www.npr.org/sections/president-biden-takes-office/2021/01/21/959023409/revamped-white-house-website-aims-for-inclusivity-and-accessibility?
At Wheel the World, we start through travel and make people with disabilities explore the world without limits. We will not stop until disabilities are not an issue anymore to travel and explore places!
https://gowheeltheworld.com/
AirbBnB Introduces updates to make it easier for guests with disabilities to travel
https://news.airbnb.com/accessibility-review/
Accessible Tourism in Saxony / Germany
Saxony Tourism – Tourismus Marketing Gesellschaft Sachsen mbH
https://www.abilities.com/community/saxony.html?
Why New York City May Soon Be More Walkable for Blind People
A federal judge ordered New York City to install more than 9,000 accessible pedestrian signals at city crosswalks.
How Accessible Are Our Cities?
Arenas
Canadian Paralympian hopes Blue Jays reno creates more options for fans with a disability
https://www.sportsnet.ca/mlb/article/canadian-paralympian-hopes-blue-jays-reno-creates-options-fans-disability/
Making Sports Arenas Accessible to fans with Autism
https://www.fastcompany.com/40493149/redesigning-sports-arenas-to-make-them-more-accessible-to-fans-with-autism
Vikings, MSFA Announce 3M Sensory Room at U.S. Bank Stadium
https://www.vikings.com/news/vikings-msfa-announce-3m-sensory-room-us-bank-stadium?sf217622328=1
Disabled fans do not want favoured treatment, just the same opportunities as all other fans.
https://www.cafefootball.eu/blog/thomas-kramer
College Football Stadiums and ADA Accessibility
Homes / Cities
Pittsburgh to make city accessible for persons with disabilities
Pittsburgh to make city accessible for persons with disabilities
How to design streets for everyone (Universal Design)
New Homes being Accessible
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/jun/05/new-homes-accessible-older-disabled-people?
Architecture & Design for people with disabilities
What would a truly disabled-accessible city look like?
https://www.theguardian.com/cities/2018/feb/14/what-disability-accessible-city-look-like
Inclusive Design: What if we built a world that was accessible to all? (GDI Hub)
Accessible toilets (are not so accessible)
What is Adaptable, Visitable, and Universal Housing?
This home designed for four generations is a glimpse at the future of housing. The home turns a wheelchair ramp into a central design feature, and in doing so acknowledges the needs of the mixed households of the future.
https://www.fastcompany.com/90375977/this-home-designed-for-four-generations-is-a-glimpse-at-the-future-of-housing?utm_source=twitter.com&utm_medium=social
My son isn’t like everyone else, but he still needs a welcoming place to live on his own
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/first-person/article-my-son-isnt-like-everyone-else-but-he-still-needs-a-welcoming-place-to/?
“Paul is one of thousands of individuals living with a disability who are now more invisible than ever, experiencing even more losses, and living in increasing isolation,” writes Lucinda Hage. “My son has the same basic human need to belong as every one of us. If it takes a village to raise a child, then it takes a community to house us as adults. How much richer our communities would be if we understood the benefits of living with diversity and sharing the gifts it brings.”
Vermonters Tackle Accessible Housing Shortage
https://www.abilities.com/community/accessible-housing-shortage.html
Restaurants
Colorado’s Brewability installs vibrational dance floor for the deaf/hard of hearing/everyone
Colorado’s Brewability installs vibrational dance floor for the deaf/hard of hearing/everyone
A U.K. NIGHTCLUB IS HOSTING A FULLY-ACCESSIBLE RAVE FOR DISABLED PEOPLE “Smash every door in and put a ramp down!”
https://edm.com/news/uk-nightclub-hosting-fully-accessible-rave-for-disabled-people
Starbucks commits to a higher standard of accessibility for disabled Americans
https://www.nrn.com/quick-service/starbucks-commits-higher-standard-accessibility-disabled-americans
Changes coming to Calgary temporary patio program to improve accessibility
Changes coming to Calgary temporary patio program to improve accessibility
These accessibility reviews of Toronto restaurants on TikTok are making life better for all. When Taylor Lindsay-Noel reviews Toronto eateries on TikTok, she’s not just concerned about the food. She wants to know if she can even access the restaurant in the first place. Through her accessibility reviews on her account AccessbyTay, the 28-year-old shares her experiences with restaurants and public spaces as a wheelchair user. Her TikTok account has more than 20,000 followers, with millions of views and nearly 700,000 “likes” across her videos. Reviews focus on factors such as whether doors have push buttons to open them, whether the staff is courteous and accommodating and whether the restaurant is easy to navigate overall. Read more about finding accessible Toronto restaurants here.
https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/article-with-her-accessibility-reviews-of-toronto-restaurants-this-tiktok/?
New restaurants in Nova Scotia required to be accessible by end of the month
New restaurants in Nova Scotia required to be accessible by end of the month
Dark Table
http://darktable.ca/about.html
Deaf Restaurant
https://signsrestaurant.ca/
https://upserve.com/restaurant-insider/deaf-owned-restaurant-hoping-change-service-industry-one-franchise-time/
Lower bars, accessible menus: This restaurant is designed for people with disabilities
https://www.today.com/food/new-nyc-restaurant-contento-was-designed-people-disabilities-t221137
https://www.e-unwto.org/doi/epdf/10.18111/9789284422777
Technology
Google Maps
http://www.businessinsider.com.au/google-maps-is-now-wheelchair-friendly-accessible-20-percent-time-employee-project-2016-12
Google will make wheelchair accessibility info more prominent in Maps
https://www.theverge.com/2020/5/21/21266371/google-maps-wheelchair-accessibility-accessible-places-feature-release
Is The Metaverse Likely To Be Accessible And Inclusive Of People With Disabilities?
https://www.forbes.com/sites/gusalexiou/2022/03/31/is-the-metaverse-likely-to-be-accessible-and-inclusive-of-people-with-disabilities/?sh=54e970494d20
Twitter is finally thinking about accessibility first
AllTrails App Expands Accessibility Info for Hiking Trails
https://www.abilities.com/community/alltrails.html
The tech industry’s accessibility report card for 2021 How the industry fared.
https://www.engadget.com/accessibility-in-tech-2021-report-card-apple-google-microsoft-amazon-facebook-meta-twitter-210034415.html
Accessibility Oz CEO Gian Wild explains the steps you can take to make your social media presence more accessible.
Most people take social media for granted as a part of their everyday lives. But for people with disabilities, participating in the online conversation isn’t always easy.
https://www.prweek.com/article/1713858/no-one-left-behind-why-brands-prioritize-accessibility
How will new technology improve accessibility for people with disabilities?
https://www.debatingeurope.eu/2016/02/18/will-new-technology-improve-accessibility-people-disabilities/#.YClJDHdKj6D
‘Time for businesses to reassess web accessibility’: Canadian tech company
https://www.citynews1130.com/2021/01/27/web-accessibility-canadian-tech-company
Misc
WHAT CAN A BODY DO? A fascinating and provocative new way of looking at the things we use and the spaces we inhabit, and a call to imagine a better-designed world for us all.
https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/561049/what-can-a-body-do-by-sara-hendren/
5 Key Ways to Expand How We Approach Accessibility: Driving design differently
Why Design Should include everyone
What If Accessibility Was Also Inclusive?
https://catapult.co/stories/what-if-accessibility-was-also-inclusive-column-unquiet-mind-s-e-smith?
Why including people with disabilities in design is a win for all.
https://www.cbc.ca/radio/day6/misinformation-over-australia-s-fires-royals-in-canada-best-stunt-oscar-aaron-hernandez-doc-and-more-1.5428066/why-including-people-with-disabilities-in-design-is-a-win-for-all-1.5428071
Accessible Barrier-Free Canada
Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games publishes Accessibility and Inclusion Commitment
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1095150/accessibility-and-inclusion-commitment
It’s Time to Rethink the Language of Accessibility. And to Imagine a More Equal World
https://time.com/5839846/rethink-the-language-accessibility-more-equal/
In the future, all bidding cities for Olympic and Paralympic Games will have the following guidelines to help them be more accessible
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1100378/ipc-accessibility-guide-paralympics
Statistics Canada in collaboration with Employment and Social Development Canada, is pleased to unveil the new Accessibility Data Hub. This new portal provides users with a single point of access for a wide range of data and information related to accessibility. Users can quickly and easily browse various key subtopics – including built environment, design and delivery of programs and services, employment information, communication technology and transportation – and access Statistics Canada’s latest data tables, analytical articles and infographics. The Hub also enables users to find external governmental data, as well as information about laws related to accessibility, and will be updated as new data becomes available.
https://www.statcan.gc.ca/eng/topics-start/accessibility
I’ve seen the future, and it’s accessible
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/ive-seen-future-its-accessible-joel-dembe/?
Rick Hansen Foundation – Accessibility
This is also a way to go down stairs with a #wheelchair
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=114915003287087
Universal Design: Transforming How We Think About Accessibility
Universal Design: Transforming How We Think About Accessibility
Other articles, not required for reading, but available if you’re interested in learning more about accessibility include the following:
Arbour-Nicitopoulos, K., & Marti-Ginis, K. (2011). Universal accessibility of accessible fitness and recreational facilities for persons with mobility disabilities, Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 28, 1–15.
Rimmer, J., Riley, B., Wang, E., & Rauworth, A. (2005). Accessibility of health clubs for people with mobility disabilities and visual impairments, American Journal of Public Health, 95(11), 2022–2028.
Nary, D., Froehlich, A., & White, G. (2000). Accessibility of fitness facilities for persons with physical disabilities using wheelchairs, Topics in Spinal Cord Injury Rehabilitation, 6(1), 87–98.
As with many things we also make mistakes. Check out how accessibility has been addressed in these unique scenarios — and not always effectively:
#accessibilityfail on Twitter
https://www.pinterest.ca/independence1st/accessibility-fail/
Federal Court Ruling Requires Private Businesses To Install Handicapped-Accessible Wheelchair Jumps (Joke site)
http://www.theonion.com/article/federal-court-ruling-requires-private-businesses-i-55170
Perhaps there’s also a chance for you to add to the list of accessibility wins and fails through your experience in this module.
And it you’re really motivated The Accessibility Standards Canada, previously known as the Canadian Accessibility Standards and Development Organization (CASDO), is providing grants and contributions to support research projects that try to find, take away and stop obstacles to accessibility. This research will help to inform the accessibility standards in the future. Maybe this becomes your graduate degree?
https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-accessibility-standards-development-organization/programs/advancing-research.html
Module 5: Sport
Module 5: Sport
Sport for persons with disabilities is divided into three main groups: those for persons with physical and mobility disabilities (including blindness), intellectual disabilities, and those who are deaf or hard of hearing. A fourth group which is still evolving is sport for persons with mental/psychiatric condition including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. An example here could include the Invictus Games. This module, however, will only address sports played by the first three groups and we will focus on marketing, long-term athlete development, classification and the benefits, impacts and legacies of hosting major sporting events for these athletes.
In this section, you will have the opportunity to
Learn about various sports for persons with physical, intellectual, and sensory disabilities.
Learn about how athletes are classified in their sports.
Appreciate how athletes with disabilities are marketed.
Understand how athletes with a disability fit within a long term athlete development framework.
Learn about how hosting events for athletes with disabilities can leave an impact and legacy.
Credit: “Wheelchair race” by US Navy 2008 Public Domain Image; “Special Olympics Guam athletes” by US Navy 2009 Public Domain Image; “Below the knee amputee” by familymwr © 2009 CC: BY 2.0; “Blind Athletes Winter Festival” by Stew Stryker © 2009 CC: BY-NC-ND 2.0
UNIT 1: Sports and Recreation
Unit 1: Sports and Recreation
Disability sport for this course can be divided into three main groups: Paralympic sport for athletes with physical disabilities, Special Olympics for athletes with intellectual disabilities, and Deaflympics for athletes who are deaf or hard of hearing. You learned about the history of these groups in Module 2.
For Paralympic sport, there are further groupings that have international federations responsible in varying ways for their disability-specific sports. These groupings include spinal injuries (categorized under wheelchair sport), blind/visual impairment, cerebral palsy, amputation, and at varying times, intellectual disability. Athletes with intellectual disabilities joined the Paralympic movement in 1992 but left in 2000 after concerns regarding an inability to consistently and accurately assess the intellectual capacity among athletes (http://olympics.time.com/2012/08/29/how-the-paralympics-is-welcoming-back-intellectually-impaired-athletes-12-years-after-cheating-scandal/). After creating an appropriate system for assessment, athletes with intellectual disabilities returned to the Paralympic movement at the 2012 London Games.
Credit: “Deaflympics“; “Special Olympics“; “Paralympics“
Since the first Paralympic Games in Rome, Italy, in 1960, the Paralympic Games have continued to grow in size and stature. The first Games featured 400 athletes from 23 countries competing in eight sports: archery, athletics, dartchery, snooker, swimming, table tennis, wheelchair fencing and wheelchair basketball. In London 2012, the Games involved a record 4,237 athletes from 164 countries who took part in 503 medal events across 20 sports. A cumulated global audience of 3.8 billion people watched the Games, while 2.78 million tickets were sold, making the Paralympics the third-biggest sporting event in the world that year, behind only the Olympic Games and the FIFA Men’s World Cup.
IPC 30 Years | Just Imagine Where We Can Go Next
In the Paralympic Games, there are “official sports” but there are also many other sports played by people with disabilities that are not. For instance, para-canoeing and para-triathlon were new sports added at the 2016 Paralympic Games while para-badminton and para-taekwondo will be added for the 2021 Paralympic Games in Tokyo. In winter sports snowboarding was added to the Paralympic Games for the first time in 2014 at Sochi.
To better understand official Paralympic sports please review the following two websites and click on “sports” for each.
International Paralympic Committee, http://www.paralympic.org
Canadian Paralympic Committee, http://www.paralympic.ca
The same also holds true in Special Olympic and Deaflympics sports with their official sports found at these websites which were also presented earlier:
Special Olympics International, http://www.specialolympics.org/
Special Olympics Canada, http://www.specialolympics.ca/
International Deaf Sport, http://www.deaflympics.com/
Canadian Deaf Sport, http://www.assc-cdsa.com/
Returning to Paralympic Sport, many examples in both summer and winter can be seen in the following videos:
Winter Paralympic sports
Summer Paralympic sports
There are some great profiles on many individual sports not often shown on official Paralympic Sites. Some of my favourites include:
Blind Football (with David Beckham)
Para Snowboard (Rick Mercer)
Alpine Skiing (with Rick Mercer)
Nordic Skiing (Rick Mercer with Mark Arnedz pictured below)
Blind sport montage (X Ambassadors – Renegades)
Wheelchair basketball (I M POSSIBLE)
Wheelchair basketball (NCAA Blog)
http://blog.ncpad.org/2015/12/17/change-coming-to-college-wheelchair-basketball/
Wheelchair basketball (Rebound)
https://www.facebook.com/PhenomTen4/videos/458175177656377/
Anime x Wheelchair Basketball [Featuring “DEAR BOYS”]
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mPEiitZ3GfE
Cycling (and other Pan Am Sports Toronto 2015 Parapan Games Promo)
Running with a visual impairment
The Invisible Bond
Discover the invisible bond that forges the relationship between an athlete with visual impairment and his guide. This bond transcends the field of play developed by trust, friendship, and the unwavering desire of achieving Paralympic glory.
https://olympics.com/en/films/the-invisible-bond?fbclid=IwAR3Hc_Tb-rL1nvfR-yD0TimOencLpZvUCMQavZaQwk9GSVQ1WUKIxV-YhoM
Judo
Wheelchair rugby
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kaT5dDiISw
https://vimeo.com/18895942
Across The Line, follows the Canadian Wheelchair Rugby team as they compete to qualify for the 2020 Tokyo Paralympic Games.
Sledge hockey (animated)
‘End of the World’ discovers Para ice hockey
https://www.paralympic.org/news/end-world-discovers-para-ice-hockey?fbclid=IwAR2_UrZzzfHH7jnEu7xUwcbsY93VK5R0n_fKHGOGhFM_UvPM0Qo75-PoxtI
Steadward Talks – the history of Sledge Para-Ice Hockey, October 28
Wheelchair Tennis (with Novak Djokovic)
Basketball
https://flipboard.com/video/indy-star/1f7abded2a
Powerlifting
Sit skier (jump)
https://www.facebook.com/jay.rawe/videos/2269034463210934/UzpfSTczNjM3NTE2OToxMDE1Nzg0NDY4Mzc1MDE3MA/
Rolling Stone Magazine: Paralympic Games: Why Playing Sports While Disabled Is Always a Radical Act
https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-sports/paralympic-games-why-playing-sports-while-disabled-is-always-a-radical-act-118397/
There are also tons of non-Paralympic sports and recreational activities that are constantly being invented. (and remember this website is intended to be a buffet of ideas – you don’t have to click on every link!)
Backcountry skiing / Braille Mountain Initiative
https://www.braillemountaininitiative.com/
Basketball – This kid is an absolute baller with only one arm Flexed biceps (via @WhistleSports)
This kid is an absolute baller with only one arm 💪 (via @WhistleSports) pic.twitter.com/sWuSygKNIi
— Athlete Swag (@AthleteSwag) October 2, 2020
Climbing
Climbing Blind’ (from the Banff Mountain Film Festival – there’s a charge to watch it)The Old Man of Hoy is a 450-foot rectangular sea stack off the coast of Scotland, an iconic structure that, to the inexperienced eye, looks like it would be extremely weird to climb. The star of the feature-length Climbing Blind, Jesse Dufton, leads the trad route—but with the additional challenge of not being able to see it, as he was born with a degenerative eye disease that’s left him basically only able to perceive light. The film gets into the specific skills and logistics that contribute to Dufton’s accomplished trad-climbing career and shows how he tackles the goal of being the first blind person to lead the Old Man of Hoy (5.10a/b). Like any other climbing film, the joy of watching this one is in breaking down the nitty-gritty of exactly how an athlete works, while still feeling like you’re watching some sort of magic happen as soon as they’re on the rocks
https://www.orkney.com/listings/the-old-man-of-hoy
Esports
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1098004/esports-iwas-world-games-debut-thailand
Rollaball
Meet the 15-year-old blind quarterback hoping to reach the NFLhttps://www.cnn.com/2021/10/23/us/blind-football-quarterback-modesto-raiders/index.html
Ultra Running
https://www.ncrunnerjacky.com/
Backcountry Skiing and Hiking
https://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/short-film-showcase/0000014d-7371-d248-a94f-7bfbe6950000
Canada’s Adaptive Surfing Queen
Music and Dance – The show must go on
Acrobatics
MTB DH: Cole Bernier from Kelowna, B.C., rider is stoked to be back at the races, and on building the future of aMTB
Adaptive Yoga. How the practice continues to comfort the former big-wall climber after a life-changing spinal injury
Sky’s the Limit / Adventure TourismHow a split-second moment changed one man’s life — and drove a passion to empower others in the most awe-inspiring ways.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-04/accessible-adventure-tourism-new-zealand/100208520
Crutch Dancing (Trailer) – ReelAbilities Boston
ILL ABILITIES vs BLACK MARKET ❂ BLOCK PARTY 1/4 FINAL (more crutch dancing)
Infinite Flow – An Inclusive Dance Company uses dance as a vehicle to empower people and eliminate the stigma associated with disability. We challenge our artists to erase the line between “disability” and “non-disability” and strive for innovation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?fbclid=IwAR1yXsC2KsOcZPKdct_gNvQdNsit4iZGxNPPjiV0JijkwAZe4WLQzz9iP1k&v=Z8SB5OcL95k&feature=youtu.be
Ballet
This dance company is on a mission to teach ballet to children with disabilities pic.twitter.com/1FdpER7MsZ
— NowThis Impact (@nowthisimpact) March 10, 2020
https://abc7chicago.com/5722859/?fbclid=IwAR018EdEjMRLy9WtJeXM52qb4DizFU-EHJPXBMidWobobck_v-0LcYiLCzs
Disability and dance: Ottawa’s Propeller continues to celebrate, promote diversity
https://www.ottawamatters.com/helpers/disability-and-dance-ottawas-propeller-continues-to-celebrate-promote-diversity-2805919
Move United inaugural wheelchair football season to be supported by Xenith
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1099762/move-united-xenith-wheelchair-football
Stand up Powerlifting
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?t=25&v=459826694609962
Blind Veterans Run the Grand Canyon
This video from Google Maps follows a group of five blind kayakers through the Grand Canyon.
https://www.outsideonline.com/2365891/blind-veterans-run-grand-canyon?
Ultramarathon
Blind ultrarunner wins legal challenge to run at 24-Hour World Championships
Fitness – PARATOUGH TRAINING SERIES
Originally launched to bring awareness to Canada’s athletes headed to the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games, the ParaTough Training Series was the first workout series led entirely by Canadian Paralympians.
Brought back by popular demand, you are invited to experience firsthand the intense and gruelling training done by some of Canada’s toughest Para athletes. The series features 14 athletes and five challenging workouts that they do regularly in order to compete at the elite level. You are invited to follow along and try to keep up.
Are you #ParaTough?
https://paralympic.ca/paratough
Nike Training Club adds adaptive workouts to make exercise more accessibleThey work for people with and without disabilities.
https://www.engadget.com/nike-training-club-adaptive-workouts-accessibility-133029359.html
Fitness.Adapt To Perform – online workouts for persons using wheelchairs
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClosZzwrXmjPzDCwD9OcC0A
Mountain biking
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/matt-hadley-mountain-bike-again-1.5331832?fbclid=IwAR2-q4XhlXc1cGwIIvhrb4H4uluKrEwCWDJ5CTemKS0dv-iJPFcV6_61zxI
http://nsmb.com/stacy-kohut-whistler-routes-99/
Gravel biking
https://www.outsideonline.com/2422600/go-josie-fouts-para-athlete?
RIDING AMAZING NEW JUMP TRAIL “FLIGHT 66” at MOOSE MOUNTAIN on a BOWHEAD REACH WITH COLE BERNIER
‘Nature is healing’: Saskatoon Paralympian aims to make adaptive cycling more accessible
https://saskatoon.ctvnews.ca/nature-is-healing-saskatoon-paralympian-aims-to-make-adaptive-cycling-more-accessible-1.5395082
Sask. Paralympian wants to make outdoor exploration more accessible. Lisa Franks is raising money for new adaptive mountain bikes that people with a wide range of mobility issues could rent in Saskatchewan.
https://thestarphoenix.com/news/local-news/sask-paralympian-wants-to-make-outdoor-exploration-more-accessible
Calgary woman who’s paralyzed kayaks white water rapids on Lower Kananaskis River
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/kayak-paralyzed-modified-rapids-wojcik-1.6117291
Zipline for wheelchair users
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/nova-scotia-zipline-course-now-available-for-wheelchair-users-1.6085793?fbclid=IwAR1NcROFAt-DnGQ4JW4On0RWcFHqibkQQNaR_DbHRv5hfEEGQYzvJECtuK8
Skateboarding
https://www.instagram.com/p/B8S8tQKpse_/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
https://www.boardworld.com.au/articles/felipe-nunes-welcome-to-birdhouse?
Adaptive Bikepacking / Devils Gaphttps://cyclingmagazine.ca/mtb/devils-gap-an-adaptive-bikepacking-adventure/#.YMzEui7WLoI.twitterCrossfit
https://www.espn.com/espn/feature/story/_/id/18416495/espnw-lindsay-hilton-conquers-crossfit-rugby-arms-legs?Freestyle Motocross
https://www.ami.ca/BHOBC-About?
Lacrosse
https://www.swaxlax.com/blogs/swax-lax-news/the-first-sonic-lacrosse-ball-created-for-blind-players?
Golf
https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/sports/college/rutgers/2019/09/27/blindness-no-obstacle-rutgers-university-golfer/2428967001/?
Adaptive Weightlifting
Football For All
https://www.cafefootball.eu/news/take-part-in-online-football-for-all-talks?
Founded by adaptive athlete Lexi Youngberg, Brave the Wave set out to bring together the adaptive community through wakesurfing
https://www.malibuboats.com/news/2020-news/brave-the-wave?
Wheelchair rock climbing
https://www.facebook.com/WheelchairmafiaNL/videos/2530547230364872https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wYF6SC9bUk
Wheelchair skateboarding – Ellen show
Base Jumping
After being left paralysed in a BASE jumping accident, Lonnie Bissonnette defied doctors to skydive again in his wheelchair.
https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/video/detail/be-inspired-by-the-world-s-most-extreme-wheelchair-athlete/
Surfing. Beyond the Break is a documentary about Sam Danniels, a multi-sport professional athlete in three para-skiing disciplines, as well as cycling, snowmobiling and paragliding. Sam refuses to let his life-changing spinal cord injury become a barrier to the many outdoor sports that he loves. Sam’s most recent athletic obsession is surfing, and since existing adaptive surfboards don’t work with his high level of paralysis, he’s learning to craft his own. Beyond the Break follows Sam as he designs and builds a new board to tackle the unpredictable waves of the Pacific Northwest. Sam’s story is one of tenacity, ingenuity and refusing to accept limitations.
Mountaineering. An Adaptive Athlete and Her Home Mountain
https://www.outsideonline.com/2416157/kira-brazinski-adaptive-athlete-wyoming?
12-Year-Old Blind Skier Takes on the Big Couloir
Twelve-year-old Jacob Smith was diagnosed with a meningioma brain tumor in 2014. Five years and several surgeries later, he became the youngest blind skier to descend the Big Couloir on Lone Mountain at Montana’s Big Sky Resort. This film, produced by Steep Motion, highlights his journey as a cancer survivor and blind skier.
https://www.outsideonline.com/2420426/jacob-smith-youngest-blind-skier-big-couloir?
Birgit Skarstein Was the First Person in a Wheelchair on Norway’s Dancing With the Stars
https://www-popsugar-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.popsugar.com/fitness/birgit-skarstein-wheelchair-contestant-on-norway-dwts-48087990/amp
Freeskiing. Mac Marcoux is one of Canada’s most decorated para-athletes. Now, after a year sidelined by injury and skiing with a new, unproven guide, he will attempt to redefine himself as a skier by taking his racing pedigree into Whistler Blackcomb’s extreme alpine terrain. His goal is to do more than just ski lines that are impressive for a blind person, Mac wants to change the way people see adaptive athletes. To do this, he needs the support of his new guide and friend, Tristan Rodgers. If they succeed, Mac will become the world’s first blind freeskier. If they fail, his career as an athlete and his Olympic hopes may come to an end. As the pair square off against the challenges of the mountains and push their boundaries to the limit, they fight to stay healthy and inspired, all while training to earn a spot on the 2022 Olympic Team.
Skateboarding-Disabled skaters in Brazil aiming for Paralympic inclusionhttps://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/skateboarding-disabled-skaters-brazil-aiming-paralympic-inclusion-2021-10-23/Calgary Flames helps children with special needs access hockey
https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/calgary-flames-helps-children-with-special-needs-access-hockey-1.5665235
Underdog No More, a Deaf Football Team Takes California by Storm
This season, the elite, Chicago-based Joffrey Ballet’s “Nutcracker” will include roles for Emma Lookatch and Larke Johnson, two young dancers with cerebral palsy, from the Joffrey’s adaptive dance program. The program serves students with cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, down syndrome and other disabilities.
Vancouver para surfer wins 3rd straight world championship title. Physiotherapist Victoria Feige captured gold again at the International Surfing Assoc. World Championships
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/vancouver-para-surfer-wins-3rd-world-championship-1.6289868?
Quinn Brett Is the First Adaptive Cyclist to Complete the Tour Divide
The former pro climber became paraplegic after a bad fall on El Cap. Now she wants to raise awareness for how accessible the outdoors can be.
Quinn Brett Is the First Adaptive Cyclist to Complete the Tour Divide
Can You Race a Triathlon with a Service Dog?
ParaGolf Canada & RAD Society has just made ParaGolf more accessible in Alberta
ParaGolf Canada & RAD Society has just made ParaGolf more accessible in Alberta
There are also many examples that are not profiled here. Each of these often has their own websites that explain how they are adapted to various special populations. Quite honestly any sport can and should be adapted — and if they’re not already — you should be the first.
Perhaps the confluence of technology and sport will result in a multitude of accessible new sports?
Launch of the International Association of Mixed Reality Sports
https://blooloop.com/news/valo-motion-association-mixed-reality-sports/
HEAR XR ACCESSIBILITY EXPERTS DISCUSS THE CREATION OF XRA’S Accessibility & Inclusive Design in Immersive Experiences
Limbic – Physical Gaming for Your Home
Ever thought why your workout at home can’t be fun as gaming? Well, we might have something for you.
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/limbicactive/limbic-physical-activity-unleashed
Finally – spot for persons with disabilities is not without its challenges and concerns.
Concussions in Para Sport
https://sirc.ca/blog/concussion-in-para-athletes/
Self-reflection
Pick four sports and describe how they were adapted so that persons with disabilities can participate? Each sport that you choose must be for different impairments. For instance, one can be for a person who uses a wheelchair and another for a person with a visual impairment.
UNIT 2: Classification
Unit 2: Classification
For paralympic sport to be fair, classification systems have been implemented. In Paralympic sport this is akin to weight categories in boxing or wrestling. As an overiew, the material that follows is paraphrased from the Canadian Paralympic and International Paralympic websites.
https://www.paralympic.org/classification
http://paralympic.ca/classification
Classification is a sport-based system of leveling the competition playing field. The classification system has been designed so that athletes who succeed in competition do so on the basis of their sporting ability versus just a medical classification, which is how it was done originally. Athletes are now classified according to their activity limitations resulting from their disability so that in some cases athletes with different disabilities can compete against each other.
Athletes go through an evaluation that groups them into a competitive “sport class,” according to their physical or sensorial functions in a sport. These include standardized tests performed by the athlete and assessed by a classification panel. Athletes with visual impairments complete an ophthalmology examination. The classification evaluation may include a technical assessment and observation on the field of play. Athletes in the same sport class then are able to compete against each other.
Using para-alpine as one example, in the Paralympics they previously gave medals for every classification in three general disabilities (visual impairment, amputation, spinal injury). Now they have three types: standing, sitting, and visually impaired. Before, there were 11 classes for just standing skiers depending on whether the athlete had cerebral palsy or was missing one limb or two and whether the amputation was below or above the knee or below or above the elbow.
Credit: “2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games medals” by Farrukh © 2011 CC BY-NC 2.0
After the 2002 Games, the system was tightened to reduce the number of medals awarded. Now, all standing athletes compete for one set of medals (see http://www.paralympic.ca/winter-sport-classifications). This results in fewer finals, and more athletes to compete for fewer medals — yet some argue it has created further discrimination because in any class there are always those at the top and those at the bottom of the spectrum. By decreasing the number of classes you therefore increase the disparity between those at the top and those at the bottom.
To address this and hopefully ensure fair competition, and using the skiing example, a factoring system is now used that assigns a percentage to all 11 classes based on the degree of the athlete’s impairment. That number is multiplied by the skier’s finish time to create an adjusted time that is used to award medals. Now all three disability groups compete in the same five disciplines as able-bodied athletes — downhill, super G, super combined, giant slalom, and slalom — and on the same hill as the Olympians. The challenge here then is that this can be confusing to spectators as someone who has a slower time can still be the gold medalist.
There are of course other issues with classification including cheating. One example of this was at the Sydney 2000 Paralympic Games where several athletes from Spain’s basketball team inappropriately presented themselves as having an intellectual disability when, in fact, they did not. Once this was discovered further examination revealed that the process by which to determine intellectual disability was inconsistent across the globe. Athletes with ID were thus subsequently banned from Paralympic competition until the classification system could be corrected; which did not occur until the 2012 Paralympic Games in London.
http://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1040042/ipc-striving-to-address-problem-of-intentional-misrepresentation-claims-world-leading-medical-expert-on-paralympics#.V5tRpTS7xRs.facebook
http://calgaryherald.com/sports/olympics/scott-stinson-it-takes-a-particular-lack-of-shame-to-fake-a-disability-at-the-paralympics/wcm/7bdeb365-3226-4568-b7b4-c394d60b7069
Cheating is also not just happening with athletes with intellectual disability. According to some “everyone is cheating!”
http://www.bbc.com/sport/disability-sport/41851149
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2017/mar/20/classification-system-for-paralympic-track-and-field-open-to-abuse
https://www.si.com/olympics/2020/03/03/paralympiccheating
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/dateline/cheating-in-the-paralympics-the-fight-for-fairness
In 2020, classification was even at the core of whether wheelchair basketball would even be allowed in the Tokyo Paralympics.
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1090325/ipc-wheelchair-basketball-tokyo-2020
https://www.cbc.ca/sports/paralympics/paralympics-tokyo-2020-wheelchair-basketball-classification-1.5447337?utm_source=CCES+Publications&utm_campaign=a5db9d3a7d-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2020_02_05_04_34&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_99c9e5c562-a5db9d3a7d-310891121
In Special Olympics, meanwhile, classification is different philosophically, and practically it is referred to as divisioning (https://www.specialolympics.ca/learn/official-sports-and-rules/divisioning). This, in some respects, is the fundamental difference that sets Special Olympics competitions apart from those of other sports organizations. Divisioning allows athletes of all ability levels to participate as competitions are structured so that athletes compete with other athletes of similar ability in equitable divisions. Essentially, athletes will only compete against those who can perform to a similar ability.
In Deaf sport, the classification system is very straightforward. To participate, an athlete must be deaf, with a hearing loss of at least 55 dB in the best ear (medium frequency of 3 tones in 500, 1000 and 2000 hertz, ISO 1969 Standard). No other criteria is used.
Self-reflection
What are the advantages and disadvantages of each classification system?
If you could create a system for each disability group from scratch, how would you set it up?
UNIT 3: Marketing Athletes with Disabilities
Unit 3: Marketing Athletes with Disabilities
In the very first module, we discussed how persons with disabilities were portrayed in the media. What we will now do is try to understand in greater depth how persons with disabilities and more specifically athletes with disabilities are presented for the purposes of marketing and sponsorship.
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.
Before we move to sport, perhaps an apt place to start is to think about how many characters in movies or on television shows have a disability? Do those characters have a “real” disability? How is their disability portrayed? Is this important? To this last question I would say yes. As a small example, I love how this young child reacted to seeing a person in a wheelchair in a Target advertisement:
https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/02/17/target-ad-toddlers-reaction-boy-wheelchair-goes-viral/4788369002/)
The following stories highlight some recent shows that have included persons with disability and reflections on why there are so few.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2019/04/11/netflix-special-new-kind-disability-story-tv/3422178002/
http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/where-are-the-disabled-actors-a6831001.html
https://themighty.com/2016/04/micah-fowler-actor-with-cerebral-palsy-stars-in-abc-pilot-speechless/
http://www.rogerebert.com/balder-and-dash/disabled-roles-disabled-performers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
The following four stories also highlight current issues related to the portrayal of persons with disability in media.
What can Hollywood learn from the Paralympics – listen to Breaking Bad’s RjMitte as he talks about representing disability better on the big screen.
https://www.paralympic.org/a-winning-mindset-lessons-from-the-paralympics
The lack of persons with disability in film was highlighted in 2020 when Zack Gottsagen made history as the first actor with Down Syndrome to present live on national TV during the Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film alongside his Peanut Butter Falcon co-star Shia LaBeouf.
https://themighty.com/2020/02/zack-gottsagen-down-syndrome-presents-oscars/?
Netflix has been at the forefront of showcasing persons with disability and in particular, a series that took ‘Disability Inclusion to a New Level’
Netflix’s Newest Series Takes Disability Inclusion to a New Level
Para-athletes protest “The Witches” release for negative portrayal of disability
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1100343/the-witches-paralympics-amy-marren
“#DeafU, a Netflix show about #Deaf students at Gallaudet University, has zero Black Deaf woman. Nor does it have Deafblind or other multiply-disabled students. Mylo & I are disappointed.”
#DeafU, a Netflix show about #Deaf students at Gallaudet University, has zero Black Deaf woman. Nor does it have Deafblind or other multiply-disabled students. Mylo & I are disappointed.
Producers need to stop whitewashing the #disability experience. #DisabilityTooWhite pic.twitter.com/HZkY4hpTIz
— Haben Girma👩🏿🦯 (@HabenGirma) October 11, 2020
Film is also not the only place where people with disabilities are not being shown. Paralympic sport is rarely shown on television but the few times it has suggests that there might be an appetite to watch more. In 2014, during the Paralympic Games in Sochi, 5.3 million Canadians tuned in to the English language CBC coverage
http://www.cbc.ca/revenuegroup/mobile/touch/53-million-canadians-tuned-in-to-english-tv-coverage-of-the-sochi-2014-paralympic-winter-games-over.html
The following articles follow up on this consumer interest noting various reports as to an increase in viewers and why Paralympic sport may be the next “diamond in the rough” for sponsors and television producers.
Viewers flock to Paralympic coverage
http://www.marketingmag.ca/news/media-news/viewers-flock-to-paralympics-coverage-103558
Diamond in the rough
http://m.insidethegames.biz/paralympics/winter-paralympics/2014/1018969-paralympics-are-diamond-in-the-rough-claims-nbc-chief-after-sochi-2014-success#.UyqOLzr5yGA.twitter
One in four watching
http://www.insidethegames.biz/paralympics/winter-paralympics/2014/1019000-one-in-four-canadians-tuned-in-to-sochi-2014-paralympics-coverage
Why Marketers Need To Pay Attention to Persons with Disabilities
https://www.forbes.com/sites/jonathankaufman/2019/06/25/mindset-matters-trends-of-the-times-and-why-marketers-need-to-pay-attention/#4d13ef60ba4b
Media and Disability
https://disabilityhorizons.com/2019/09/fashion-faux-pas-industry-cuts-out-disabled-people/
Inclusive ads are affecting consumer behavior, according to new researchhttps://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/future-of-marketing/management-and-culture/diversity-and-inclusion/thought-leadership-marketing-diversity-inclusion/
Marketing to the marginalized: how brands can create meaningful messaging One of the biggest challenges facing brands is the inclusivity of minority groups. It’s a tough subject to get right but one that brands must absolutely get right. From the over-50s to people with disabilities, minority ethnic to the LGBT+ community, huge audiences are being left feeling underserved and underrepresented by marketing campaigns.
https://www.thedrum.com/news/2021/12/07/marketing-the-marginalized-how-brands-can-create-meaningful-messaging?
The number of people watching and paying attention thus seems to suggest that Paralympic athletes are becoming more marketable ‘properties’.
Para athletes attract sponsors
http://www.paralympic.org/feature/no-35-para-athletes-attract-advertisers-sponsors
The Bottom Line
http://www.rickhansen.com/Blog/ArtMID/13094/ArticleID/29/Disability-in-advertising-is-good-for-the-bottom-line
IPC blog
http://www.paralympic.org/blog/craig-spence-are-advertisers-increasingly-using-disability-promote-their-products
From live described blind hockey and curling to the stories of athletes in your local community, AMI is Canada’s source for inclusive sports.
https://www.ami.ca/category/sports/all
Hosting events for athletes with disabilities has also been noted as potentially valuable. In a 2020 study, it was suggested that Adapted Sports generated up to $134 Million in annual impact:
Study: Adapted Sports Generate Up to $134 Million in Annual Impact
Specific corporations have then capitalized on this, and also a trend towards diversity in general, by showcasing athletes, sports or people with disabilities. Some might call this ‘handicapitalism’, others tokenism, and even others’ social responsibility.
As but one small example this Edmonton ice cream shop learned sign language to be more inclusive to deaf customers
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/edmonton-ice-cream-shop-learns-sign-language-to-be-more-inclusive-to-deaf-customers-1.5872796
On a more global scale this is perhaps best represented by The Valuable 500
Launched in 2019 at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland, The Valuable 500 calls on business leaders to foster innovations enabling persons with disabilities to realize their potential value in society, business and the economy. An official partner programme of the World Economic Forum, The Valuable 500 is the only global business CEO collective focussed on disability inclusion in business. To date, more than 340 leading companies from 31 countries have committed to putting disability inclusion on their business leadership agenda. They represent a total revenue of over USD 4.5 billion (EUR 3.8 billion) and over 12 million employees. Many IPC partners and suppliers are already signed up including Airbnb, Atos, Channel 4, Citi, Coca Cola European Partners, Dentsu and Ottobock.
Arguably it’s then through these partnerships that we can close the disability inclusion gap.
https://www.weforum.org/our-impact/closing-the-disability-inclusion-gap-through-the-power-of-business-leadership
Businesses in general as noted elsewhere are also trying to be more inclusive in their day to day operations and people like Andrea Carey (a leader in inclusion and a BC resident) are now helping lead these changes. Andrea Carey joined the Just Go Play podcast to talk about what it means to incorporate inclusion in your organization, and the importance of making your strategy effective.
https://www.buzzsprout.com/410620/7936162
Specific examples of where companies are profiling persons with disability in their marketing efforts include:
Toyota – Mobility for all
Toyota – Lauren Wolstencroft
Toyota – now a world wide sponsor of the Paralympic movement has actually done a ton of media related to Para athletesStart Your Impossible | It Could Be You | Toyota
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIYLnI5F0s0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McHy6n-FBgw
Toyota has also partnered with specific groups including Canada Para SnowboardWe’re proud to announce our partnership with @Canadasnowboardteam and Para Snowboard. SnowboarderWe’re working together to foster a more accessible and inclusive sports community. Learn more:
https://fal.cn/3d0za
https://twitter.com/ToyotaCanada/status/1354499539370192900?s=20
Finally, check out the various sports Toyota supports – and how many are Paralympic
https://www.toyota.ca/toyota/en/about/sports-partnerships#/al/canada-snowboard?utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_campaign=FY21-SnowboardCanadaPartnership-Awareness-EN
P&G’s Thank You Mom Campaign
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1gWQFG9E
P&G COMMITS TO 2,021 ACTS OF GOOD IN 2021 AND INSPIRES MILLIONS THROUGH LEAD WITH LOVE CAMPAIGN
https://us.pg.com/blogs/lead-with-love/
https://us.pg.com/people-with-disabilities/#partners-and-communities
Tim Horton’s
The first snowfalls across Canada signal the start of an age-old Canadian tradition: snowman-building. Today, those snowpeople are as diverse as the Canadians who create them – sticks, carrots and spare buttons are now seen alongside items like snow locs, eagle feathers and dupattas. This holiday season, we’re celebrating diversity and inclusion and the ability to find happiness in even the smallest things, like building a snowperson. After all, we are all made of the same snow.
Adidas (with Airdrie’s own Ryan Straschnitzki)
https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/ryan-straschnitzki-signs-contract-with-adidas
https://www.iheartradio.ca/ez-rock/ez-rock-kelowna/shows/watch-humboldt-bronco-ryan-straschnitzki-in-chilling-adidas-video-1.10003953
Adidas – India
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y404N9XlA-U&ab_channel=TaprootDents
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZxqfUVdfEI&ab_channel=TaprootDentsu
Kmart
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/kmart-television-advert-one-of-the-first-to-feature-model-with-down-syndrome/news-story/1ed5d0bb56d092ce347e421d3c3f11d4
New Kmart line adding diversity to shelves
https://9now.nine.com.au/a-current-affair/new-kmart-line-adds-diversity-to-shelves-with-disability-dolls/6960ab7e-0b4c-4352-a9ba-2c3550f960e5
Nike
http://www.teenvogue.com/story/kyle-maynard-nike-ad-quadruple-amputee-everest-climb
Nike Released Para-Sport Mannequins
https://www.forbes.com/sites/sarahkim/2019/06/26/nike-parasport-mannequins/#4a2bc85c46dd
Sephora Make up
https://www.instagram.com/tv/CCtb6UUlPlY/?igshid=2luyj3czfcvk
BP
Tommy Hilfiger
https://mashable.com/2018/04/06/tommy-hilfiger-tommy-adaptive-disibility-friendly-clothing/#7C2QXOBErkqm
Mattel / Barbie
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/12/us/barbie-doll-disabilities-trnd/index.html?sf98756437=1
https://www.romper.com/p/the-new-barbie-wheelchair-update-is-a-huge-inclusive-statement-22413154?
https://www.womenshealth.com.au/barbie-shero-2020-madison-de-rozario
Lego
http://www.adweek.com/adfreak/lego-unveils-its-first-disabled-minifigure-good-week-inclusivity-169305
Why Disability Representation in Toys Is So Important
https://themighty.com/2021/01/down-syndrome-disability-representation-toys/?
Petro Canada
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rYH6EYB9ubA
Maltesers
http://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/news/features/2016/09/funny-maltesers-paralympics-adverts
Gerber
https://www.vogue.com/article/gerber-baby-news-down-syndrome-lucas-warren
Samsung
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=334GB46q4DU&feature=youtu.be
Axe
Kleenex
Gatorade
Kenneth Cole
Men’s Health Magazine
http://www.menshealth.com/guy-wisdom/ultimate-mens-health-guy-winner
http://www.menshealth.com/fitness/noah-galloway-ultimate-guy
Gillette: Shaquem Griffin Your Best Never Comes Easy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AXlO_cP-uxYi
Ticketmaster
https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-50247373
American Girl Catalog
https://people.com/human-interest/american-girl-catalog-features-model-down-syndrome/
Arcteryx
https://arcteryx.com/ca/en/explore/problem-solvers/kai-lin
Ritz Crackers TV Commercial, ‘Greatness Inspires’
https://www.ispot.tv/ad/OeRR/ritz-crackers-greatness-inspires-featuring-melissa-stockwell
Target
The retail giant just released backpacks for kids and adults who are wheelchair users.
Target Just Released Backpacks For Kids and Adults In Wheelchairs
10 of the Most Accessible Brand Campaigns and Actions of 2020
https://www.adweek.com/media/10-of-the-most-accessible-brand-campaigns-and-actions-of-2020/
Virgin Media, Faster brings us closer — our fastest, most reliable WiFi ever (notice how they include disability)
Tempur-Pedic Canada Facebook Micro Doc Premiere of Sledge Hockey / Para Ice Hockey
https://www.facebook.com/TempurPedicCDN/videos/245364190562193/
Nike, IF YOU HAVE A BODY, YOU ARE AN ATHLETE*
https://jobs.nike.com/disability-inclusionPerhaps we will also see even more examples such as these as the IOC and IPC have signed a marketing agreement extending into future Games.
https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-and-ipc-to-partner-until-2032
Examples could include Coca Cola, Citi Bank, and Bridgestone Tire, among others, and even more from companies like P&G.
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1073650/coca-cola-becomes-gold-partner-of-tokyo-2020-paralympic-games
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1073316/international-paralympic-committee-agree-partnership-with-banking-giant-citi
https://www.bridgestone.com/corporate/news/2018101801.html
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1069156/procter-gamble-sign-on-as-gold-partner-of-tokyo-2020-paralympic-games
https://www.olympic.org/news/ioc-and-visa-extend-partnership-through-to-2032?esi=true
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1067457/top-tier-olympic-partners-to-become-sponsors-of-paralympics-from-2021
https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Global/Issues/2018/07/17/Olympics/IOC-IPC-Sponsorship.aspx
As I noted earlier, however, the challenge will be ensuring that the messages are appropriate, accurate, equitable, and ideal — which in the past they haven’t always been.
Stop Praising Able-bodies for Treating Disabled People Like Human Beings
http://www.thedrum.com/news/2016/09/29/post-paralympics-brands-still-failing-represent-disabled-consumers-despite-200bn
http://www.usnews.com/news/best-countries/articles/2016-09-07/jessica-long-companies-should-do-more-to-support-the-paralympic-games
http://www.thedrum.com/news/2016/09/05/media-cautioned-over-use-superhuman-brave-and-heroes-paralympics-reporting
https://inews.co.uk/opinion/columnists/channel-4s-paralympics-advert-risks-alienating-disabled-people-ever/
http://www.cnn.com/videos/health/2016/10/25/mom-fights-talent-scout-who-rejected-her-son-orig-mobile.cnn
http://money.cnn.com/2016/09/02/news/paralympians-medals-worth-less/index.html
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jul/19/people-with-disabilities-treated-like-second-class-citizens-says-watchdog
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2016/02/10/the-2016-conversation-has-ignored-disabled-people-now-they-want-to-be-heard/
https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/melbourne-cafe-forced-to-apologise-over-joke-about-disabled-people/news-story/c10284da5e7ed97c274a10f0971edea9
Others, meanwhile have praised how persons with disabilities are being presented:
http://thenewdaily.com.au/sport/other-sports/2016/09/08/paralympics-superhumans-ad/
So which is it? Are people with disabilities being accurately and fairly portrayed in the media, and in particular through sport, or is it tokenism, paternalism, and patronizing?
Self-reflection
In your opinion, what are good and bad examples of how athletes (or those who are active) with disabilities are portrayed in the media? Please provide several examples from this unit.
UNIT 4: LTAD
Unit 4: Long-term Athlete Development
Sport for persons with disabilities is not necessarily just for elite athletes but instead falls within a continuum. In Canada, we refer to this as the long-term athlete development (LTAD) model where we see a pathway from the earliest ages focusing on play, to being active for life as an older adult – from the puddle/playground to the podium?
Following the publication of Canadian Sport for Life’s Long Term Athlete Development Model (now referred to simply as Long Term Development ) (http://canadiansportforlife.ca/), the LTAD Expert Group recognized that there was a need to extend the concepts to persons with disabilities. As a result, No Accidental Champions was written for persons with a physical disability.
https://sportforlife.ca/portfolio-view/no-accidental-champions-ltad-athletes-disability/
Later, another document was developed by Special Olympics Canada that dealt with athletes with intellectual disabilities. These two documents comprise this module’s readings.
https://www.specialolympics.ca/learn/special-olympics-programs/long-term-athlete-development
In No Accidental Champions, two additional “stages” were added to the generic able-bodied model: Awareness and First Involvement. These were added because of a concern in the sport-for-disability community that not enough people were aware of the range of sports opportunities that were possible/available. There was also anecdotal evidence from athletes and non-athletes (both with and without a disability) that one of the critical moments in determining whether or not they would be engaged in sports was when they made their first involvement within the “system.” People with a disability reported that it took a great deal of courage to make the initial approach to a sports organization particularly if it was not disability segregated and if the response was negative it drove them away; not only from that particular sport but sometimes from all physical activity.
Within the LTAD model, one of the foundations is the importance of becoming physically literate. This is a massive topic, in and of itself, so we won’t go into depth here, but suffice to say it’s important for persons with disability to become physically literate so that they can participate and enjoy all of the opportunities presented throughout this website.
http://physicalliteracy.ca/people-with-disabilities/
http://physicalliteracy.ca/inclusive-physical-literacy-and-intellectual-disability/
https://dr.library.brocku.ca/handle/10464/10973
https://paralympic.ca/programs
Self-reflection
What are the two additional stages involved in long-term athlete development for athletes with disabilities? Why are they necessary?
What are the sporting and daily living supports that athletes with physical and intellectual disabilities need in order to reach the highest levels of sports performance?
What are the system and or pathway differences between sport for persons with physical disabilities and athletes with intellectual disabilities?
UNIT 5: Legacy of Hosting Games
Unit 5: Legacy of Hosting Games
The last section of this module focuses on the legacy of hosting events for persons with disabilities. Only recently have academics begun to focus on this issue from both Olympic and Paralympic perspectives although it is more nascent from the disability angle. For background please review the following:
Legg, D. & Gilbert, K. (2013). Legacy of Paralympic Games, Commonground.
Misener, L., Darcy, S., Legg, D. & Gilbert, K. (2013). Beyond Olympic Legacy: Understanding Paralympic Legacy Through a Thematic Analysis, Journal of Sport Management, 27(4): 329–341
Misener, L., McPherson, G., McGillivray, D., & Legg, D., (2019). Leveraging Disability Sport Events Impacts, Promises, and Possibilities, Routledge.
https://www.routledge.com/Leveraging-Disability-Sport-Events-Impacts-Promises-and-Possibilities/Misener-McPherson-McGillivray-Legg/p/book/9780367520267
Alexis Schäfer | Delivering societal change through sport
https://www.sportbusiness.com/2020/10/alexis-schafer-delivering-societal-change-through-sport/
While still a relatively new subject for researchers, what many anticipate and expect is that there will be positive legacies resulting from hosting the Paralympic Games. But is this true? I certainly said as much when Calgary and Vancouver were bidding for the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The challenge, however, is that past reports regarding legacy have been mixed:
Vancouver 2010
https://circle.ubc.ca/handle/2429/38239
London 2012
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/paralympics/article-3789617/British-sports-chiefs-urge-Paralympic-stakeholders-not-waste-legacy-groundbreaking-London-2012-Games.html
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2016/feb/03/paralympic-legacy-failed-widen-access-exercise
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-23876243
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/aug/27/paralympics-people-with-disabilities-face-abuse
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2013/aug/29/paralympics-legacy-disabled-people
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2013/aug/24/paralympics-sophie-christiansen-equestrian
http://www.insidethegames.biz/paralympics/summer-paralympics/2012/1015496-london-2012-has-significantly-improved-workplace-attitudes-to-disability-new-report-claims
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-23334223
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-ouch-24652842
Credit: “Olympic cauldron” in Vancouver by kariek © 2016 CC BY-NC-SA 2.0
Sochi 2014
http://www.sportbusiness.com/sportbusiness-international/sochi-2014-hails-winter-paralympics-commercial-record
Rio 2016
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-37412609
https://www.paralympic.org/news/nielsen-shares-key-research-power-paralympic-brand
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympics/paralympic-sport/11847138/Paralympics-has-become-greatest-sporting-event-driving-societal-change-says-IPC-president.html
http://globalaccessibilitynews.com/2016/09/13/life-is-extremely-difficult-for-persons-with-disabilities-in-rio/
Pyeongchang 2018
http://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1042347/exclusive-pyeongchang-2018-warned-promotion-and-legacy-plans-must-improve-to-avoid-harming-image-of-games
https://www.paralympic.org/news/pyeongchang-2018-games-lessons-shared
https://www.paralympic.org/news/record-international-audiences-pyeongchang-2018
Tokyo 2020
http://aroundtherings.com/site/A__74366/Title__Tokyo-2020-Promotes-Paralympic-Benefits-for-Japan/292/Articles
http://playthegame.org/news/news-articles/2016/0168_the-2020-olympics-will-make-all-japanese-a-little-healthier-japan/
http://www.insidethegames.biz/paralympics/summer-paralympics/2020/1016559-japanese-government-promise-to-use-tokyo-2020-paralympics-to-help-improve-facilities-for-disabled
Will future Games be able to provide more positive legacies and impacts from hosting Games in 2021 (Tokyo), 20222 (Beijing), 2024 (Paris), 2026 (Milan) and 2028 (Los Angeles).
To finish this module, it’s interesting to reflect on the 2016 Games in Rio and the speech given by IPC President Sir Philip Craven at the closing ceremonies. Note in particular how much of his speech revolves around the hoped-for legacies left by the Games:
https://www.paralympic.org/news/ipc-president-s-speech-closing-ceremony-rio-games
The current IPC President Andrew Parsons has also reflected on the power of the Games to leave a legacy and in particular as it relates to human rights.
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1070616/ipc-president-addresses-united-nations-human-rights-council-forum-on-power-of-paralympics
“The practice of sport is itself a human right and it is sport that has a unique unifying power to attract and inspire, bringing together and empowering people of all backgrounds free from discrimination. Article 1 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that all human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. If this is the case, then why are people with disabilities still among the most marginalized groups in the world? The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the first human rights treaty of the 21st century, can also play its part reaffirming that all persons with all types of disabilities must enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
I must admit I also truly believe that the Games have the potential to leave significant and meaningful legacies in the host cities and countries. The evidence, however, is less convincing. What do you think?
Self-reflection
What are the legacies of the most recent sporting events for athletes with disabilities you are familiar with?
What can be changed to encourage a more long-lasting legacy from hosting events?
Module 6: Innovation in Adapted Physical Activity
“Anything’s possible if you’ve got enough nerve”
– J.K. Rowling
“Creativity is thinking up new things. Innovation is doing new things.”
– Theodore Levitt
“Creativity is intelligence having fun.”
– Albert Einstein
“If I had asked the public what they wanted, they would have said a faster horse.”
– Henry Ford
This module is the culmination of everything you’ve learned in the entire course. Start to think about what could be created to solve an innovative solution to a challenge faced by a person with a disability in pursuing sport or recreation. There is lots of carryover from earlier modules but I’ve added a number of new sites and examples too, with the goal always around enabling people with disabilities to be more active, more often.
We will use a hybrid design paradigm placing special emphasis on empathic design, modelling, iterative refinement, focusing on the user, functional and physical prototyping and this is underpinned by Stanford’s model of design thinking and social engagement, a creative problem-solving methodology that is particularly suited to real-world projects. The model is made up of five steps. The first is empathize, that is learn about the people that you are designing for and their needs. Second is define, to decide what needs solving. Then ideate, generating ideas and building on them. Prototype involves building quick, functional versions of the ideas to find out what works. The last stage is testing to find out what the users think. This system has also been used in other similar programs such as the University of Manitoba that has this project in their computer engineering program. They follow a ‘design paradigm placing special emphasis on empathic design, modelling, iterative refinement, focus on the user, and functional and physical prototyping’.
Innovation implies newness: new products; new services; opening new markets; new ways of organizing. However, it is important to point out that newness does not necessarily imply spending more money or buying new products. It can also mean recycling products that you already have and using them in new ways.
Innovation is certainly something you’re hearing a lot about in the business world such as the recent McKinsey report on the eight essentials of innovation:
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/strategy-and-corporate-finance/our-insights/the-eight-essentials-of-innovation?
Is innovation the launchpad out of the Pandemic crisis?
https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions
Black Swan Podcast – THE PERILS OF BAD DESIGN
The art of innovation | Guy Kawasaki | TEDxBerkeley
8 INNOVATION PODCASTS TO INSPIRE AND ACTIVATE INGENUITY
https://www.gameplan-a.com/2022/01/8-innovation-podcasts-to-inspire-and-activate-ingenuity/?mailer_content_type=article&newsletter=1
3 Common Fallacies About Creativity
https://hbr.org/2021/11/3-common-fallacies-about-creativity
And while it may not seem obvious at first, innovation and entrepreneurship are deeply embedded in every aspect of sport and recreation https://www.sriexecutive.com/innovation/.
Business innovation also feeds into sport innovation in a competitive environment
https://www.icsspe.org/content/how-business-innovation-feeds-sport.
https://www.sportbusiness.com/technology-innovation-portal/
Innovation in disability, meanwhile is also far-reaching and shown through the various examples here:
http://disabilityinnovation.com/
Some have even argued that an entrepreneurial spirit is built of a necessity for people with disability
https://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace/entrepreneurial-spirit-built-of-necessity-for-people-with-disability-20201102-p56at8.html
Yet all too often, people with disabilities are left out of conversations around change, sustainability, and inclusion. Yet, creative problem solving, which punctuates the lives of many people with disabilities, is an essential element of tackling these pertinent issues.
https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/resources/factsheet-on-persons-with-disabilities.html
And as I’ve argued in earlier modules there may be money for this type of thinking as a Global Investor Group Representing $2.8 Trillion has appealed to companies to be more inclusive.
https://disabilityin.org/what-we-do/disability-equality-index/investor-statement/
The challenge for this module once again is thus to identify a problem and create an innovative solution for it. Students can select any aspect of the lives of persons with disabilities but you need to relate it to sports, recreation, or physical activity. For example, Dave Lee and the Signal Snowboards team built a new hybrid, adaptive snowboard so that they could go boarding with their friends :
By identifying a problem and exploring a solution, you will then be exposed to problem-solving, critical-thinking, customer/user discovery, design thinking, and pitching and these skills will be critical to your career, regardless of whether you start a business, join an established organization or a startup.
https://blog.leanstack.com/the-bootstart-manifesto-65b41da6216
For instance check out these handy innovations that allow someone with limited finger dexterity the opportunity to paint or trim their nails.
Keep in mind too that the innovation can result in the creation of a new business, product, but it doesn’t have ti. It can be as simple as a new or innovative technique or style of moving in a specific sport. As an example, check out the swimmer from China that wins the 100 m backstroke swimming event at the 2012 London Paralympic Games. He definitely was innovative in his swimming techniques.
And you’ll see this type of innovation happening everywhere. The ThisAbles project for instance, was conceived to allow people with special needs to enjoy the quality of life provided by IKEA products. As part of IKEA’s vision to “create a better everyday life for as many people as possible”, they joined forces with the non-profit organizations Milbat and Access Israel, that specialize in creating special solutions for populations with special needs and disabilities, and developed a new and revolutionary line of products that bridge some of the gaps between existing IKEA products and the special needs of people belonging to these populations. How cool is that?
https://thisables.com/en/about/
https://adage.com/article/special-report-cannes-lions/ikeas-thisables-wins-cannes-lions-grand-prix-health-and-wellness/2178341
IKEA’s ThisAbles add-ons adjust furniture for people with disabilities
.
Pottery Barn did something similar to IKEA and debuted 150 pieces of furniture for people with disabilities
The Accessible Home modifies some of the brand’s most popular products so they’re better suited for people with disabilities.
https://www.fastcompany.com/90771457/pottery-barn-debuts-150-pieces-of-furniture-for-people-with-disabilities
One you’re aware of this you’ll start seeing opportunities everywhere. As my colleague Sean Crump tweeted:
“There are more clothing lines for dogs than for people living with disabilities. Seems like an opportunity for the right company.
Below are now a group of stories in no particular order that highlight innovation within disability and often disability sport. I hope they inspire you for your own project.
Sport Innovation Society
Just take an innovation in ab sport – and see if you can make it fit in a disability context
Examples of innovations needed for persons with disability
https://makersmakingchange.com/maker-wanted/
THE GAMEPLAN A GUIDE TO CREATIVITY
https://www.gameplan-a.com/creativity-guide
Center for Sport, Peace, & Society, University of Tennessee
D.I.Y. Adapted Sports Equipment Series
AMI Television.Our Community, meet individuals who use People in Motion’s adaptive equipment, giving them the freedom to explore outdoor spaces and a variety of activities. Our Community, “People in Motion,” debuts Thursday at 8 p.m. ET on AMI-tv.
Rick Hansen Institute Profiles Various Startups
‘Access+Ability’ exhibit showcases designs for, and by, those with disabilities
https://www.cnn.com/2018/02/21/health/disability-design-cooper-hewitt-new-york/index.html
The Robot-Arm Prosthetic Controlled by Thought
App for improved access
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/disabled-kids-recreational-activities-more-active-maceachern-1.4069533
Sign language Gloves
Meet The Kenyan Engineer Who Created Gloves That Turn Sign Language Into Audible Speech
JOSH HAMPEL – One arm … and one big hockey ambition
http://thespec.newspaperdirect.com/epaper/viewer.aspx
Meet Kakana: a Fitness Platform Featuring Workouts Tailored For People With Disabilities
https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/kakana-fitness-platform-for-people-with-disabilities-47935971?fbclid=IwAR33ZuxW-DERO4rltA8YXQovAjhJWazsgdKFJ8i86ykYVcQwGlPdg_Jm10g
Mastercard introduced three accessible cards for people with visual impairments, allowing their customers to distinguish between credit, debit, or prepaid cards.
https://designtaxi.com/news/418442/Mastercard-Creates-Ad-For-Visually-Impaired-To-Match-Its-Accessible-Cards/
GRILLING WITH A DISABILITY IS EASY WITH THESE TOOLS – Anyone can cook a tasty summer meal.
https://www.reviewed.com/accessibility/features/grill-accessibility-kit-supplies-easy-summer-meals
Reebok, Zappos Collaborate On New Adaptive Footwear
How a tech startup is using AI to find better treatments for autism
SpectrumAi, founded by a mother of four children with autism, aims to use technology to improve therapies for children with the neurological disorder.
https://www.fastcompany.com/90759804/spectrumai-startup-treatment-autism?
New York City Marathon Builds Wheelchair-Accessible Interactive Video Game
https://www.sporttechie.com/nyc-marathon-builds-wheelchair-accessible-interactive-video-game/?utm_content=buffer750ab&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter
Okanagan College students create T-Glove for quadriplegics
https://www.castanet.net/news/Kelowna/299397/Okanagan-College-students-create-T-Glove-for-quadriplegics?
8 Pieces of Adaptive Outdoor Gear That Redefine Accessibility: Innovations expand opportunities for adventurers with physical disabilities
https://www-sierraclub-org.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.sierraclub.org/sierra/2021-1-january-february/gear-guide/8-pieces-adaptive-outdoor-gear-redefine-accessibility?amp&fbclid=IwAR0Dj11i4Jy0UscVz3G8jNNoweajXuu7dANUZLyMdj-oJpnv0WmZrPlyr6E
Adapted snow shovels to enable all students to participate!
“I want to shovel!” Requested students earlier this week
Creating an adapted set up with the shovels to enable all students to participate!#WaybackWednesday #winter #accessibility #DreamLearnGrow pic.twitter.com/pzFkiSokWy
— Bloorview School Authority (@BloorviewSchool) January 15, 2020
12-year-old creates accessibility online audit / profile on Ellen
https://www.facebook.com/ellentv/videos/10155577207022240/?comment_id=448298605524594
Accessible Gaming
http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/ian-hamilton/the-changing-tides-of-accessibility-in-gaming_b_10462956.html
Fable funds quest for accessibility-inclusive development with $10M A round
https://ca.finance.yahoo.com/news/fable-funds-quest-accessibility-inclusive-192735916.html
Adidas – INNOVATING NEW SOLUTIONS IS THE NEW GOLD: HOW TO TURN UNCERTAINTY INTO VALUE
https://www.gameplan-a.com/2022/03/innovating-new-solutions-is-the-new-gold-how-to-turn-uncertainty-into-value/?
Rethinking one-size-fits-all exercise prescriptions
https://cmajnews.com/2022/03/07/exercise-disability-1095991/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=exercise-disability-1095991
Liftwear cuttlery
8 Everyday Items Originally Invented for People With Disabilities
https://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/everyday-innovations/items-invented-people-with-disabilities.htm
Life After 7’6″: Shawn Bradley, Paralyzed in a Bike Crash, Knows ‘It’ll Never Be the Same’
The retired NBA center is finding that his 90-inch frame—which brought him fame and fortune and 2,000-plus blocks—is now a challenge without medical precedent.
https://www.si.com/nba/2022/01/12/shawn-bradley-paralyzed-bike-accident-daily-cover?
4 ways mobile apps could be a lot more accessible
https://mashable.com/article/mobile-apps-accessibility-fixes
HOW ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY IS CHANGING SPECIAL EDUCATION
7 games that pushed accessibility forward in 2021
https://www.polygon.com/22852260/2021-most-accessible-video-games-windows-pc-nintendo-switch-playstation-5-xbox-series-x
All Wheels Up Brings Wheelchair-accessible Planes One Step Closer
Fast Company 2022 World Changing Ideas – could any of these be applied to a disability context?
https://www.fastcompany.com/world-changing-ideas/list?
20 AWESOME ACCESSIBLE PRODUCTS BEST BUY CUSTOMERS LOVE
The best of Best Buy accessibility
https://www.reviewed.com/accessibility/buying-guide/best-buy-accessibility-deal-walker-smart-watch
UPEI students developing accessible gaming controller for people with disabilities
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/prince-edward-island/pei-able-gamers-accessible-controller-1.6418620
A year ago a new TikTok feature changed the game for its deaf users. Now, ‘DeafTok’ is a thriving and inclusive community.
https://www.insider.com/deaftok-deaf-hearing-asl-tiktok-creators-2022-4
Jimmy Fallon showcases an accessible walker
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=10154785962298896
Adapted Xbox controller
https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2018/05/16/xbox-adaptive-controller/
https://venturebeat.com/2018/05/16/microsoft-controller-makes-gaming-more-accessible-to-people-with-disabilities/
Phone Accessibility Tip: How to Hear What’s on Your Screen With VoiceOver
https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/iphone-accessibility-tip-how-to-hear-whats-on-your-screen-with-voiceover
Hugh Herr is building the next generation of bionic limbs, robotic prosthetics inspired by nature’s own designs.
Custom shirt with magnetic buttons made for this man with cerebral palsy – his smile says it all – awesome innovation
https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6724161313460776960/
Hyundai’s New Wheelchair Taxi Concept is Out of This World
Powering Inclusion: AI and Assistive Technology. Call for evidence.
https://www.disabilityinnovation.com/news/ai-and-assistive-technology
Adapted Exercise App. Created by a colleague in Jordan
https://adaptedexercises.com/
Powering Inclusion: Artificial Intelligence and Assistive Technology
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/powering-inclusion-artificial-intelligence-assistive-ramos-barajas/
The Case for Investing in Assistive Technology
https://atscale2030.org/investment-case?ss_source=sscampaigns&ss_campaign_id=5fc200374d5fe97f578c8d80&ss_email_id=5fc4a8904d5fe97f5799ad44&ss_campaign_name=thank+you+-+Investment+Case+for+Assistive+Technology&ss_campaign_sent_date=2020-11-30T08%3A08%3A57Z
“How can Inclusion be an open door to Innovation” footballforall
A New Business Agenda for Disability Inclusion
https://www.weforum.org/events/the-jobs-reset-summit-2020/sessions/disability-shaping-the-new-decade-of-innovation
Willow on wheels: Foster dog comes with wheelchair and heart of gold
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/dog-adoption-foster-wheelchair-willow-1.5817803?cmp=rss
Nike’s hands-free shoe is a step forward for inclusive clothing
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/02/nike-hands-free-shoe-disability-inclusive-clothing?
Innovation, technology and inclusion go hand in hand #inclusionmatters Worldwide Olympic Partners helping to make Tokyo 2020 most innovative Olympic Games ever
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azdsuVjHJY8
Calgary-built adaptive 3-wheel bike garners worldwide attention
https://calgary.ctvnews.ca/calgary-built-adaptive-3-wheel-bike-garners-worldwide-attention-1.5335855?
It’s a basic human right’: the fight for adaptive fashion
https://www.theguardian.com/fashion/2021/feb/26/its-a-basic-human-right-the-fight-for-adaptive-fashion
Tesla
Thank you @Tesla for this helpful and cool feature 🙂 pic.twitter.com/FLuY3yFdSL
— Thomas Fogdö (@Fogdo) September 8, 2019
From The C-Suite “Innovate for Inclusion”
Pro Sports Assembly
ROCKET MORTGAGE FIELDHOUSE and KULTURE CITY leaders share the inspiration and activation that led to the first sensory space built-in professional sports. #PowerofProSports
From The C-Suite “Innovate for Inclusion”
Featuring: Uma Srivastava, Dominique Wilkins, Renae Ingles and Antony Bonavita.
https://pspa.memberclicks.net/
A new airplane seat prototype called the Freedom Seat, offering passengers with restricted #mobility the ability to fly seated in their own #wheelchairs, is making the rounds quietly within the airline community in a quest to become the first certified wheelchair in-flight seating. The brainchild of an undisclosed major airline and Hank Scott, CEO of Denver-based Molon Labe Seating, the #FreedomSeat is a wider economy aisle seat that slides over the neighboring chair leaving open a space for a #wheelchair to securely lock into place. The size of the potential market that such an innovation would assist is growing. A market study released by the Open Doors organization shows that 27 million U.S. travelers with #disabilities took a total of 81 million trips and spent $58.7 billion on travel in 2018-19, up from $34.6 billion in the prior 2015 study.
https://skift.com/2021/04/08/new-wheelchair-prototype-seat-promises-accessibility-for-in-flight-travel/
How Christian Bagg Invented a New Adaptive Adventure Sport with the Bowhead Reach
https://www.mensjournal.com/sports/how-christian-bagg-invented-a-new-adaptive-adventure-sport-with-the-bowhead-reach/?
This is Nike GO FlyEase
https://news.nike.com/news/nike-go-flyease-hands-free-sho
Here’s What Nike’s First Hands-Free Sneaker Means For People With Disabilities
https://www.refinery29.com/en-us/2021/02/10291037/nike-go-flyease-hands-free-sneaker-adaptive-fashion
Student’s award-winning research into exoskeletons inspired by sister
https://www.mtroyal.ca/AboutMountRoyal/MediaRoom/Stories/2021/06/the-neatest-thing-in-the-world.htm
Degree Inclusive is a deodorant packaged for people with disabilities
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/money/technology/degree-inclusive-is-a-deodorant-packaged-for-people-with-disabilities/ar-BB1gl3tH?ocid=BingNewsSearch
Students build an electric wheelchair that can climb stairs
https://mashable.com/video/wheelchair-climb-stairs-independently/
New Yosemite AutoCamp Features Custom Designed Wheelchair-Accessible Airstreams
ABILITIES VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE, March 26-27, 2021, Online Globally (TONS of great innovation ideas)
https://www.abilities.com/virtual/vregister.html?
The TECH DAYS Online Conference in Berlin discusses the latest advances of brain-based communication interface (BCI) and novel methods that can provide communication and control functions to operate robotic assistive devices and more. We invite contributions presenting innovations and applications in the field of real-time control with brain waves and other biosignals. The conference will offer researchers, engineers, and practitioners a platform to share ideas and receive feedback about their impactful research findings on brainwave signals and then performing the control of exoskeletons, wheelchairs, robotic arms and prosthesis.
https://onlineconference.robochair.de/
The 10 most innovative gaming companies of 2021
https://www.fastcompany.com/90600212/gaming-most-innovative-companies-2021
Teacher’s creative contraptions open a new world for his students
https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/2021/03/10/teachers-creative-contraptions-open-new-world-his-students/6869341002/?fbclid=IwAR1PiJb5QLnqwD2mpf3wQnVXXiCYTY1nCnxpS8X9FJ73NU2k08Ucczq489Y
Check out this great example of innovation encouraging participation
Building for Everyone: Expand Your Market with Design Practices from Google’s Product Inclusion Team
Flips and flops – the ups and downs of sporting innovations
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1104331/innovations-flip-throw-fosbury-flop
Wheelchair-stroller built by students for new parent with impaired mobility
https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/family/story/wheelchair-stroller-built-students-parent-impaired-mobility-78839613?fbclid=IwAR2JcFYEJltr37N-Ayznv6dPfrzrQ3i5qqXU7ozo3pduZI3KZkGp3tGUPUs
Custom shirt with magnetic buttons made for this man with cerebral palsy
P & G WE ARE UNIQUE AND WE ARE UNITED
https://us.pg.com/people-with-disabilities/
https://us.pg.com/equality-and-inclusion/#representation-in-our-workforce
Using AI, people who are blind are able to find familiar faces in a room
https://news.microsoft.com/innovation-stories/project-tokyo/
Adaptive clothing for people with disabilities
https://globalnews.ca/video/7551472/adaptive-clothing-for-people-with-disabilities/
11 Accessibility Hacks From and For the Disability Community on TikTok
https://www.popsugar.com/smart-living/accessibility-hacks-on-tiktok-48500955
Tomorrow’s disability innovation pioneers: a showcase of PHD research, ideas and technologies
https://www.disabilityinnovation.com/webinars/tomorrows-disability-innovation-pioneers-a-showcase-of-phd-research-ideas-and-technologies
Say hello to the future: Using robotics to push boundaries
As the Bloorview Research Institute (BRI) undergoes its largest expansion to-date, things are getting even more futuristic in its High Performance Hub.
https://hollandbloorview.ca/stories-news-events/stories/say-hello-future-using-robotics-push-boundaries
Priority assistive products list: improving access to assistive technology for everyone, everywhere
https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/207694
The Trexo has arrived! We’re looking forward to being involved in studies to understand how it can help children with significant mobility impairments, starting with working on understanding how to use the controller to optimize physical activity and neuroplasticity.
6 year old Ava has been practicing walking with the Trexo Plus so that she can get comfortable using her walker again. Since starting with the Trexo, she has been taking between 400 – 600 steps a session all while singing songs, asking questions and telling us funny stories! Go Ava!
Krooshl connects accessible venues to the people who need them
https://www.krooshl.com/
With Disability-Friendly Packaging, Olay Aims For Greater Accessibility
With Disability-Friendly Packaging, Olay Aims For Greater Accessibility
Ireland’s Eaglesham hits target with wheelchair invention
The shooter’s innovative design a huge hit among athletes at Paralympic Games
https://www.paralympic.org/feature/ireland-s-eaglesham-hits-target-wheelchair-invention?
Ford is using its engineering prowess to solve a problem that has arisen from the coronavirus pandemic: Designing a medical-grade face mask that reveals wearers’ facial expressions and also allows hearing-impaired people to read lips. The car manufacturer, which began producing personal protective equipment early on in the coronavirus pandemic, has developed a face mask with clear panels that also filters most airborne particles.
https://www.thevaluable500.com/spotlight/fords-clear-n95-masks-for-d-deaf-community
Tommy Hilfiger’s new adaptive clothing line and thought you might enjoy/want to share.
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZM872jmL3/
Ascento Robotics
Bigger, faster, stronger: This is Ascento Pro! Our newest creation can climb full flights of stairs, drive at up to 12km/h and all this for up to 8h per battery charge. Oh and also it is now autonomous.
Purdy’s Braille Chocolate Box
https://www.purdys.com/braille-box-18-pc
There has also been a ton of innovations specifically just for wheelchairs:
Wheelchair Design
Art and Design
http://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/architecture-design-blog/2014/oct/09/five-new-wheelchair-designs
Icon Wheelchairs, Dragon’s Den
http://www.cbc.ca/dragonsden/pitches/icon-wheelchairs
Arms Race for Wheelchair Design
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/09/10/sports/olympics/in-wheelchair-basketball-an-arms-race-for-the-perfect-sit.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share&_r=0
Canadian Brent Lakatos designing a new racing wheelchair
https://www.insidethegames.biz/articles/1096594/lakatos-racing-wheelchair-design
Disability, Stigma & the role of Innovation
https://www.disabilityinnovation.com/webinars/disability-stigma-the-role-of-innovation
I look forward to seeing what you can come up with?
And perhaps, one day you can present your innovation at one of these summits!
https://www.disabilityinnovation.com/
https://www.techstars.com/accelerators/indy-sports
Other opportunities for $ include:
Powering Inclusion: AI and Assistive Technology. Call for evidence.
https://www.disabilityinnovation.com/news/ai-and-assistive-technology
Engaging youth leaders to encourage organizations to apply for funding under the Youth Innovation Component of the Enabling Accessibility Fund
https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/funding/enabling-accessibility-fund-youth-innovation.html?
Announcing the SCI Incubate 2020 Cohort
https://praxisinstitute.org/commercialization/praxis-incubate-program/sci-incubate-2020-cohort/
Innovative designs for accessibility competition (it’s not due until April – but you could submit your Innovation project and WIN $5,000) (and if nothing else check out last year’s winners for inspiration)
Praxis in association with Ideation Clinic University of Toronto launched a six-month kickstart program designed to help participants develop potentially commercializable ideas for those living with SCI. An exciting opportunity offering a combination of workshops, mentorship program, strategy and support for advancements in the SCI community.
https://ideation.mito.utoronto.ca/?activity=workshop-i-understanding-challenges
MaRS is a launchpad for startups, a platform for researchers and a home to innovators. Check out their innovations in Health
https://www.marsdd.com/our-sectors/health/
MaRS and CIBC have also officially launched the Inclusive Design Challenge, a multi-year competition seeking solutions to employment barriers identified from the disability community. The first challenge in the series seeks the input of persons with disabilities and allies in the identification of barriers they experience. These submissions will directly inform our series of Innovation Challenges seeking solutions. This challenge is designed to bring significant barriers to light and help millions of Canadians achieve and sustain meaningful employment, especially in the context of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Beyond this impact, we are offering 20 prizes of $250 for Challenge participants.
The Walt Disney Company now has an ‘Accelerator’, which is a business development program designed to accelerate the growth of innovative companies from around the world including those that focus on accessibility!
http://di.sn/6042z6sYA
MSc Disability, Design and Innovation at UCL in London, UK
https://www.disabilityinnovation.com/projects/msc-disability-design-and-innovation-at-ucl
The winners of the 2021 Innovative Designs for Accessibility (IDeA) student competition are breaking down physical, technological, systemic and attitudinal barriers on their campuses and in their communities to foster a more innovative, prosperous and inclusive Canada. You can learn more on how their innovative designs are making communities more accessible for persons with disabilities here:
OR what about grad school?
The possibilities are endless and I hope you enjoy this project. Innovation has been described as what drives advocacy. So if we’re going to be advocates for persons experiencing disability to be more active, more often then we’d better be innovators too!
“When you’re finished changing, you’re finished”
– Ben Franklin
“The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination.”
– Albert Einstein
“There’s no good idea that cannot be improved on.”
– Michael Eisner
Hot off the press:
Canadian company named to Time Magazine’s list of greatest inventions of 2023 | Globalnews.ca
