Adaptive Activities

Goal ball, handcycling, fishing and hunting, extreme sports, fitness activities, and kayaking. People with disabilities can do them all. This makes me so excited to work in the therapeutic recreation field. I love all the options, the freedom, the room for creativity and uniqueness.

It was good to see that adaptations to the things we use can either be really simple and primitive (like the ones we made for the art projects), or they can be very technologically advanced, like Ken's Power Caster. I tend to think of all the expenses that come up with adaptations, but they're not always expensive. Even if some may seem super simple, they will often benefit the people you're working with.

One thing that I really enjoyed last night was learning how to play goal ball. What an intense game!! It is played with a huge medicine ball that has bells inside of it. The game is typically made for people with visual impairments, because they are able to hear the ball coming. So we went outside and made teams of three or four. (This game can be played anywhere because the goal is the area behind the players.) So one team will throw/roll/bounce the ball towards the other side and the defending team uses their BODIES to stop the ball. I have never even heard of that game before class last night. This sounds like a sweet game to use to integrate people with and without disabilities. People without visual impairments could use a bandanna/eye covering like we did in class.

I'm continuing to get excited about people who are blind and the potential of working with them. I would really love to develop a climbing program (and maybe include camping as well) for people who are blind. This continues to surprise me about myself. I guess I kind of get things set in my mind about what I want to do, but I forget that the Lord wants to continue molding and changing my heart and passions. I'm excited to continue to be obedient to how the Lord is working on my heart and the things he brings up. He knows me so well. I'm always learning how to listen to him and follow him, because he knows what is best for me.