| In years past, a serious physical
| |
| | to the Paralympic Games website,
|
| disability meant unemployment, isolation,
| |
| | participating athletes compete in a
|
| and inactivity for many thousands of
| |
| | variety of sports based on one of six
|
| people.
| |
| | disability-based classifications:
|
| No longer. While the Americans with
| |
| | amputee, cerebral palsy, spinal cord
|
| Disabilities Act has opened up the
| |
| | injuries, visual impairment, intellectual
|
| workplace and public facilities to people
| |
| | disability, and a general group including
|
| with disabilities, many organizations
| |
| | individual disabilities which do not fit
|
| around the country have sprung up,
| |
| | into one of the other five categories.
|
| offering access to sports programs both
| |
| | Both summer and winter sports
|
| for wheelchair-bound individuals and
| |
| | competitions give disabled athletes the
|
| amputees with artificial prosthetic
| |
| | change to compete in a variety of sports;
|
| devices. Disabled people are experiencing
| |
| | the list of summer sports includes 21
|
| the joy of participating in Alpine and
| |
| | different competitive sports, ranging
|
| cross-country skiing, all kinds of water
| |
| | from archery and cycling to equestrian,
|
| sports from swimming to sailing to scuba
| |
| | powerlifting and judo. Five competitions
|
| diving, and even more extreme sports such
| |
| | designed specifically for
|
| as mountain climbing and sky diving.
| |
| | wheelchair-bound athletes include
|
| The importance of both competitive and
| |
| | basketball, dancing, fencing, rugby, and
|
| recreational sports for individuals with
| |
| | tennis. The list of winter sports is
|
| disabilities can't be overestimated.
| |
| | smaller, but no less challenging:
|
| Particularly for formerly able-bodied
| |
| | athletes can compete in either Alpine or
|
| people who find themselves disabled,
| |
| | Nordic skiing, ice sledge hockey, and
|
| sports can serve as a tremendous
| |
| | wheelchair curling.
|
| motivation in the rehabilitation process
| |
| | Children with physical disabilities have
|
| and can help alleviate the depression,
| |
| | special challenges; they're dealing with
|
| confusion, and loss of self-esteem that
| |
| | sometimes substantial limitations at the
|
| often accompanies a debilitating injury.
| |
| | same time that they are meeting all the
|
| For those born with a serious disability,
| |
| | other demands of becoming competent,
|
| sports can serve as an important way of
| |
| | balanced, emotionally and mentally
|
| connecting to the "abled" world.
| |
| | healthy human beings. The National Sports
|
| Competitive sports for the disabled are
| |
| | Center for the Disabled (NSCD) offers
|
| experiencing phenomenal success. The
| |
| | opportunities for children to take part
|
| world-wide organization now known as the
| |
| | in a wide range of sports activities,
|
| Paralympic Games was founded in Rome,
| |
| | from skiing, ski racing, snowboarding and
|
| Italy, in 1960, inspired by a 1948
| |
| | snowshoeing in the winter to rafting,
|
| competition organized in England for
| |
| | horseback riding, and in-line skating in
|
| disabled World War II veterans. According
| |
| | the summer.
|
