The blog isn't all about adaptive surfing however it is another example of an innovative activity. The surfer's name is John Davis and the blogger talks about how he is the pioneer of off road wheel chair racing, does adaptive skiing, and is a two time Paralympic Gold medalist. I think John is not only brave but also inspiring. Trying all of these different sports truly shows that no matter what type of condition or disability a person may have, attitude is a big part of making the best out of one's situation. This is great example of how if you put your mind to it anything is possible.
To facilitate this sport I would have to make sure that I knew of a lake, ocean, or pool that has a surrounding area that would accommodate to all of the needs of someone using a wheelchair such as ramps that lead to the water, handiaccessabile bathrooms, and making sure that I can track down one of these amazing adaptive surfing surf boards. I would also try to find someone who has had prior experience in this sport so they could help the individual as far as learning how to maneuver in the water. I would also make sure that wherever we are going would have lifeguards on duty. Depending on where we were going to do the activity if it were outside I would double check that the weather was going to be safe. On the day of the activity I would have the expert there to help the individual if they were having trouble getting the hang of it. Once the life jacket was on and the individual was ready to try it out I would let them and the surfing expert go ahead and have a great time.
Things to consider with this sport would be the cognitive awareness of the individual I think it would be harder to do this with an individual with a cognitive disability since they may be fearful of being confined to a device in the water. I also think it would be important to have the individuals parents there so they could participate in this joyous occasion with their child. This activity may not be suitable for unhealthy individuals due to the cold water however I think it would be great for someone with paraplegia who loves to be active or was once very active prior to a spinal cord injury. As previously stated I would have to take into account the environment that I would facilitate this activity in making sure it is handiaccessible and also make sure that my participant would have a way of getting to and from the site. Finally I think this would be a good one on one activity because I'm sure these surf boards are very rare and it wouldn't be easier to access several of them.
No comments:
Post a Comment