| Editorial |
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The Olympics came to Salt Lake city and the world watched. The Paralympics came to Salt Lake City 2 weeks later and some of the world watched. The goal of this edition of the APE section is to highlight the possibilities for competition that exist for individuals with disabilities. There are many opportunities out there for all levels of abilities and/or disabilities. Athletes with physical disabilities have world records in the 100 Meters that is only 1 1/2 second behind that of the world record for the able-bodied record of 9.76 seconds. Athletes who use wheelchairs are participating in wheelchair races. For instance, Jean Driscoll, a wheelchair athlete, completed the Boston Marathon in 2 hours and 59 seconds. That is faster than an any able-bodied runner has completed the same marathon. A man with a visual impairment has summited Mt. Everest. Let's celebrate the possibilities for competition and realize that everything begins at the Grass Roots level. The physical educator, the recreation therapist, the physical therapist, the occupational therapist, the mobility specialist, the special education teacher, etc who are the ones that need to get young individuals interested in sport and believe that the possibilities are endless. Maybe this section will spark the interests. Cindy Piletic  |
| Disabled Sports Opportunities |
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Paralympic Sport The first competition for individuals with physical disabilities
was that of the Games For People With Spinal Injuries which were
first held in 1948 in England. Dr. Ludwig Guttmann was the organizer
of the games, he originally planned them as part of a rehabilitation
program for individuals with spinal injuries. The program was encouraged
by the British government and sustained because of the large number
of individuals injured in WWII . Paralympics offer competition for individuals who are blind and partially sighted, individuals with amputations, individuals with cerebral palsy, wheelchair athletes and athletes with an intellectual disability |
| Celebrate Disabled Sport History |
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Deaf Sport: Deaf Athletes have been competing in competitions since 1924. Early in the history of deaf sport, the World Games for the Deaf were sometimes referred to as the "Silent Games". The World Games for the Deaf are the oldest continuing games other than the Olympics. The name of the games was officially changed to "Deaflympics" just prior to the games in Rome 2001. In 2005 Melbourne, Australia will host the Deaflympics. For more information about the Deaflympics click here. If looking for more information about Deaf sport the best place to look is the USA Deaf Sports Federation Web Pages
Special Olympics Special Olympics International was founded by Eunice Kennedy Shriver in 1968, with the first international competition being hosted at Soldier Field in Chicago. Now almost 35 years later Special Olympics has opened up opportunities for individuals with mental retardation to compete in more than 20 different sports. Special Olympics offers competition for athletes with mental retardation at local, area, state, regional, national, and international. Special Olympics provides opportunities for all levels of ability - from high functioning to low functioning. For the higher functioning athletes there is the Unified Sports program. Special Olympics introduced the concept of Unified Sports (teams made up of able-bodied athletes and athletes with mental retardation) because of the end goal to have athletes participate in recreation and city park programs. Special Olympics also offers opportunities for individuals with more severe and profound levels of mental retardation to participate in the program. The Special Olympics Motor Activities Training Program (MATP), developed by physical educators, physical therapists and recreation therapists. MATP emphasizes training and participation rather than competition. As all sports organizations, Special Olympics is planning for the upcoming world competition - The World Special Olympics Summer Games. The competition will be held in June of 2003. The Special Olympics World Summer Games will be held in Dublin, Ireland. |
| Resources |
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One of the best resources that provides information on sport and recreational activities for individuals with disabilities is: Paciorek, M.J. & Jones, J.A. (2001). Disability sport and recreational resources (3rd. ed.). Traverse City, MI: Cooper Publishing. There is another book that could be useful, as physical education teachers are working to integrate students with disabilities into their classes. It has just been published. Davis, R.W. (2002). Inclusion through sports: A guide to enhancing sport experiences. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. |
| 2002 Winter Paralympic Games Highlights |
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The 2002 Winter Paralympic Games came to a close on March 16th. Disabled athletes from all over the world came to Salt Lake City to compete in the same venues as the Olympic athletes had in February. Approximately 1,000 athletes and team officials representing 36 countries participated. The events that were a part of the Paralympic Games included: Alpine Skiing, Cross Country Skiing, Ice-Sledge Hockey, and Biathlon. The Games were televised live or prerecorded Games segments of the Salt Lake Paralympics to 29 of the 36 represented countries. The United States Olympic Committee partner with A&E so that sports fans will have an opportunity to watch the world's Paralympians compete in Salt Lake City. Specific results can be obtained through different news releases and the official 2002 Winter Paralympic Games websites |
| Contribute YOUR Ideas |
| If you have ideas, comments, letters to share, or questions about particular topics, please email one of the following Adapted PE Section Editors: |
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Carol
Huettig Ph.D., Texas Woman's Univ. |
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Cindy
Piletic Ph.D., Western Illinois Univ. |
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Chris
Stopka Ph.D., U of Florida |
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Sue
Tarr Ph.D., U.Wis-River Falls |
