Summer Sports for the Disabled

If you have a disability, you don't have to envy your friends who are out there enjoying summer sports. Even people with severe disabilities have the possibility to play sports in the summer. Here are a few ideas:

WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL

Athletes who use wheelchairs can often play basketball with a regulation 10-foot rim, and they can often play alongside those who run up and down the court. As long as the court is in decent condition, wheelchair basketball should be an option. One difference in the rules is that if a wheelchair player touches his wheel more than twice, he is called for traveling if he is not dribbling the ball.

ORIENTEERING

This is a challenging outdoor sport, which is a good option for deaf people. It is an individually timed sport which involves map reading and cross country running. The winner will navigate the course, reaching all of the "control points" and crossing the finish line in the shortest time. Orienteering is can be played on foot, on skis or on mountain bikes.

BEACH VOLLEYBALL

This is another good option for deaf athletes because of the use of hand signals. Before a serve, the server's partner can put up one finger (go for a block) or a closed fist (don't go for a block) or one finger. Wiggling the fingers to one side or the other indicates where the server should go.

GOALBALL

This sport was designed for blind athletes, and it is really a smart concept. Teams of three compete to grab a ball and throw it into a goal. The ball has bells in it so the players can listen to its movement. Partially and fully sighted players wear blindfolds to level the playing field.

WHEELCHAIR TENNIS

This is another sport that can be played with wheelchairs on a regulation court. The only difference in the rules is that the ball is allowed to bounce twice, even outside the boundaries of the court.

BLIND GOLF

Blind people can play golf with the help of a sighted coach. The coach can describe the hole and make suggestions for club selection. After receiving this advice, the golfer can take a regular golf swing. Three blind golfers have recorded holes-in-one, with the first one coming in 2004.

FISHING

If you used to fish before becoming disabled, or even if you've never picked up a fishing pole, there are several opportunities available for you to go fishing. Jean Riva wrote about these options in "Recommended Fishing Events for Disabled Anglers and Resources for Adaptive Fishing Equipment."

KIDS' ATHLETICS

I'm not disabled, but the fact that I succeeded at just one sport (baseball) really boosted my self-confidence. So you can imagine how helpful sports could potentially by to a disabled child. Sandra Koehler writes about how sports can be adapted for disabled children in a piece entitled "Recreation and Sports for Physically Challenged Children with Disabilities."

FISHING

If you used to enjoy fishing before becoming disabled, or even if you've never picked up a fishing pole, there are several opportunities available for you to go fishing. Jean Riva wrote about these options in "Recommended Fishing Events for Disabled Anglers and Resources for Adaptive Fishing Equipment."

PARALYMPICS

The Paralympics are an international competition for disabled athletes. The next Paralympics will take place in Beijing in 2008, just like the Summer Olympics. The AC's Jeanne Gibson profiled Nancy Burpee, a paralympic Swimming champion. Burpee overcame several debilitating illnesses and injuries to succeed in a very challenging sport. Her story is an inspirational look at how people can overcome obstacles through athletics.