Adapted Sports

Adapted Sports

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Adapted Sports

Introduction

Adaptive sports which are also referred to as disability or Para sports are the sports which are played by individuals with disabilities comprising of physical as well as intellectual disabilities. This kind of sports is occasionally termed as adapted sports since several of the disabled sports are centered on prevalent able-bodied sports which are altered to meet the necessities of the individuals living with a disability. Thus the adaptive sports are considered to be significant since they help the disabled individuals to do regular exercises which is vital for their bodies as it helps in strengthening their hearts, building strong muscles and increase coordination. In the United States, it is estimated that 56.7 million individuals, which is about nineteen to twenty percent of the total population are living with a disability (Winnick & Porretta, 2016). There exists several adaptive sports as well as recreation programs for which can be enjoyed for wellness, health, leisure, social and competition advantages.

The number of disabled individuals who are principally involved in sports plus physical recreation is progressively up surging with organized sports for the athletes being classified into three major disability groups. These groups include the following; games for the deaf, games for individuals with a physical disability and lastly the games for the persons with intellectual disability. It is from the late 1980s that organizations started to include disabled athletes in sporting occasions, for example, the Commonwealth Games and the Olympic Games (Thomas & Smith, 2008). Many of these adaptive sports are performed separately from the regular sports events for instance; swimming, wheelchair dancing, wheelchair basketball, weightlifting among other sporting activities which the mentally and the physically disabled individuals can join. Studies have shown that the adaptive sports exhibits several benefits comprising of less stress, fewer subordinate medical disorders, and more independence. This paper discusses the adapted sport in an in-depth extent presenting its nature plus the distinct features it incorporates in general. Moreover, the issue of diversity and inclusion in games is also discussed and analyzed.

The Major Disability Sporting Events

Disabled Veterans

This is an organization which was founded by the United States Congress aimed for the disabled military veterans of the United States Armed Forces. Its program are devoted to inspiring, reassuring as well as sustaining involvement and competition for its members through partnerships with VA hospitals plus the local adaptive sports programs throughout the country.in every year; this Department typically hosts six national sporting occasions for disabled veterans who are qualified to participate (Tuakli-Wosornu & Derman, 2018). This organization is significant since it helps the members in improving their physical health and recognizing their capabilities in many sporting activities.

Disability Commonwealth Games

In 2002 in Manchester, several Para sports were encompassed in a wholly inclusive Sports Program, and this is regarded as the first time for this kind of competition to happen in the Games history. In the event, a total number of twenty countries were represented by both female and male select disabled athletes whereby, they were supposed to contest in ten events in different five Para-Sports which comprised of Lawn Bowls, Table Tennis, weightlifting, athletics besides swimming.

Paralympic Games

This is a multi-sport occasion for the contestants with mental, physical and sensorial infirmities. These infirmities include amputees, mobility disabilities, visual infirmities and those individuals with brainy palsy. These games are conducted after every four years, and they occur after the International Olympic Games. Disabled individuals well take the Paralympic sports since they make them be recognized in society.

Promoting Diversity in Sports

Sport’s participation is among the excellent ways of looking after one’s health. Through this practice, the jeopardy of cardiovascular problems as well as mental health problems is reduced, and thus an individual general life expectancy is increased and besides it involves a lot of fun. Being eliminated from participating in a specific game for example due to one’s race, belief, gender, culture, sexual orientation, age, and even infirmity can be utterly disheartening and could lead to lowering of an individual’s self-esteem (Lastuka & Cottingham 2016, p.746). Prejudice and disparities in games can, therefore, reduce opportunities and result in limiting diversity in sport and the society as a whole.

Diversity in sport is significant since it helps in recognizing and respecting the boundaries of another individual in the society. Moreover, it brings togetherness and wellbeing of people since they can share their diverse cultural and social beliefs. The issue of promoting diversity in sports starts right from the school where the schools are obliged to have some methods of making an effort of ensuring that every student is getting a fair and equal chance in the school’s game activities. Consequently, the sports club and gyms in schools should make an endless effort of identifying plus confronting prospective barriers in the school sports activities (Perret 2017, p.168). This includes tackling and discouraging some biased comments, changing the dress and sports code, for example, the wearing of hijab so that the hijab-wearing women will be able to participate in sports, incorporating some unique games instruments and facilities for the disabled. Moreover it substantial to train coaches to be able to work with disabled persons for instance like communicating with the deaf. All this will lead to good understanding as well as relations between different groups in the society since every individual will feel recognized and as a part of the community.

Inclusion in Sports for the Disabled Persons

In some past decades, UNESCO has targeted to achieve extensively the execution of the regulatory standard of integration at all the stages in the education sector globally. The idea that the member nations must guarantee a comprehensive education system at all the available stages is as well the main goalmouth of the United Nation Convention on the Rights of Persons living with Infirmities. Therefore this calls for inclusivity of the disabled individuals in many activities not only in schools but also in sports. The distinct aptitude of sports to surpass linguistic, social as well as cultural obstacles make this organization an excellent platform for policies besides adaptation. Additionally, the universal approval and popularity of sports in general and its social, physical plus economic improvement advantages, brands it as a perfect tool for fostering the inclusion and welfare of individuals with disabilities.

The disabled persons are usually faced with societal barriers, and hence their disability aspect typically evokes undesirable discernments in the communities. Due to the stigma which is characterized with a disability, these individuals are generally excluded from several sensitive sectors for example in employment, leadership, education and community life which and this usually denies them of opportunities which are indispensable for their social growth, health plus their wellbeing (DePauw & Gavron, 2005). Consequently, disabled individuals are regarded as dependent and hence are seen as incompetent in some societies. This leads to fostering their indolence which regularly causes them to undergo through some restricted mobility which is beyond the origin of their disability.

However, sports can help in lessening this discrimination plus stigma which is allied with disability phenomenon since it can change the community outlooks regarding the disabled individuals. This can be attained by stressing their skills besides decreasing the propensity to see the infirmity rather than the individual. Therefore through sports, for example, a person without a disability can interrelate with an individual with a disability in a constructive context making them reshape the assumptions concerning what a disabled person can do and what they cannot do. Therefore, sports transforms individuals with disabilities in an equally profound manner by empowering them towards realizing their full potential as well as encouraging for some change in the society. Sports teaches how to communicate effectively and also the importance of teamwork, respect as well as cooperation with others.

Moreover, sports are well-suited to help in decreasing dependence plus developing greater independence by assisting disabled persons to become mentally and physically stronger. Sports acts as a transformative tool, and it is important especially for women with disabilities because, in their daily activities, they usually feel and experience discrimination due to their disability nature as well as their gender. Studies suggest that 93% of women with disabilities are not taking part or being involved in the adapted sport and that there is only one-third of disabled women athletes who participates in the international competitions (Zabriskie et al., 2005). Therefore by providing the disabled women a platform and a chance to compete and showcase their physical ability, sports help decrease the gender stereotypes as well as the negative insights linked with women with infirmities.

In conclusion, as described in the above discussion adapted sports are meant for the disabled individuals, and they are of great significance since they make them improve their health through exercise and also to showcase some of their hidden talents. Moreover, they help the individuals to fit and be recognized in society, and more so they help them to interrelate well with other people. The issue of diversity is also discussed whereby diversity should be encouraged in sports in general as promoting diversity leads to the inclusion of all groups of individuals in sports without discrimination or bias. Therefore, the inclusivity of the disabled persons in games is vital and should be embraced.

References

DePauw, K. P., & Gavron, S. J. (2005). Disability sport. Human Kinetics.

Lastuka, A., & Cottingham, M. (2016). The effect of adaptive sports on employment among people with disabilities. Disability and rehabilitation, 38(8), 742-748.

Misener, L., & Darcy, S. (2014). Managing disability sport: From athletes with disabilities to inclusive organisational perspectives.

Perret, C. (2017). Elite-adapted wheelchair sports performance: a systematic review. Disability and rehabilitation, 39(2), 164-172.

Thomas, N., & Smith, A. (2008). Disability, sport and society: An introduction. Routledge.

Tuakli-Wosornu, Y. A., & Derman, W. (2018). Para and Adapted Sports Medicine, An Issue of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Clinics of North America (Vol. 29, No. 2). Elsevier Health Sciences.

Winnick, J., & Porretta, D. (Eds.). (2016). Adapted Physical Education and Sport, 6E. Human Kinetics.

Zabriskie, R. B., Lundberg, N. R., & Groff, D. G. (2005). Quality of life and identity: The benefits of a community-based therapeutic recreation and adaptive sports program. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 39(3), 176.