Sports, Leisure & Recreation Resources

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This page has articles [real life stories told by youth and young adults with disabilities] and links to other organizations and agencies that can give you information about sports, leisure & recreation.

Articles

Dancing Through Life
Are interested in getting involved in dance or other physically integrated recreational activities? Check out one KASA member’s experience with dance and what it has meant to her.

Getting Involved in Doing Community Service
There are a lot of ways to get involved in your community. Volunteering your time in the community, also called community service, can be a great way to get involved in something you care about and learn new skills. Check out this tip-sheet for tips, stories and resources about how you too can volunteer in your community.

My Story
By Christina Mills

Indoor Wheelchair Soccer
By Christina Mills

Eleanor Bailey – Special Olympics
Eleanor shares her experience as part of the Special Olympics and how her participation has had an impact on all parts of her life.

Links

 

Challenged Athletes Foundation
The CAF It is the mission of the Challenged Athletes Foundation to provide opportunities and support to people with physical disabilities to pursue an active lifestyle through physical fitness and competitive athletics. The Challenged Athletes Foundation believes that involvement in sports at any level increases self-esteem, encourages independence and enhances quality of life. They have information on their website about events and support that they give to ‘challenged athletes’, including grants to support athletes.

Entry Point
Entry Point offers summer students with disabilities paid internships.

DoIt
DoIt offers various programs and resources, which include the summer Do-It Campers program. The camp’s purpose is to teach internet, college, and career transition skills.

Kids Camps
If you go to the bottom of the home page you’ll see categories based on a number of disabilities/special needs. When you click on a category the page will then show a picture of the United States. When you click a specific region you’ll get a list of camps in your area that are designed for youth with special needs.

Courage Camps
Courage Camps gives a list of summer camps that are available to youth with disabilities/special needs. Camp Courage includes sports as well as intellectual types of camps. If you go to their site you’ll see the areas they are offered in and their summer program schedule at the bottom of the page.

John Hopkins University Center for Talented Youth
John Hopkins University offers a summer program for students grades 7th and above that are interested in various performing arts activities. When you visit this site you’ll see a box that says, “Information for students and parents.”

Recreation Unlimited
Recreation Unlimited offers both day and residential summer type camps. Camps include adaptive sports, swimming, horseback riding, arts and crafts, nature studies and more! See web site for more details.

Wave Camp
Wave camp is a water camp especially for students with disabilities. The camp is offered two different weeks in the summer and includes housing at Sacramento State University. For more information please refer to the link above.

The Between Friends Club
is offered exclusively to youth with disabilities. Their camps include a variety of day programs that range from adventure’s rock climbing to relaxing at the movies. The age of campers is broken down into categories 5 years old being the youngest and 30 being the oldest. In my opinion the camps were sort of pricey, but I guess if you’re in the mood for a lot of fun this would be the way to go.

Talisman Summer Camp
is for youth with learning, ADD, ADHD, autistic disabilities. There are a variety of different camps such as outdoor adventures that include hiking, water rafting, and backpacking. There are also teambuilding, self-esteem, and recreational type activities depending on the week you chose. Camps range by title, so please refer to the web site for more information.

The Wisconsin Lions Camp
offers outdoor summer programs in a retreat like setting. Summer programs are targeted towards visually impaired, deaf or hard of hearing, youth with cognitive disabilities, and a special program is offered for youth with diabetes.

The Association of Mouth and Foot Painting Artists
The AMFPA represents 500 mouth and foot painting artists in 60 countries around the world. They receive grants or are taken on as members and receive a regular income for their artistic proficiency. Young talents like the six year old Janka from the Slovak Republic as well as experienced artist who have already established themselves in the international art market are promoted. They have events, information, chats and lots of helpful information.

Ability Plus
Has information about adaptive sports and recreation for people with disabilities in the Northeast United States.

NARHA
North American Riding for the Handicapped and is the national organizing body for the therapeutic riding industry.

Access Sports America
Offers high challenge sports for people with disabilities and others (mostly windsurfing).

US Association of Blind Athletes
Works to change attitudes about the abilities of blind and visually impaired people.

Cooking Made Easy
A cookbook designed for people with developmental disabilities. It is $25 and the website has a few sample recipes as well as a short history of why the authors decided to write this.

Camp Ronald MacDonald
Teaches kids with disabilities through challenging outdoor living.

Wheelchair Sports USA
Organizes annual, national championships, competitions and world championships. It is organized into 14 regional associations each develops wheelchair sports programs and qualifying meets for the national Wheelchair Games.

The National Wheelchair Basketball Association
NWBA has 181 teams in 22 conferences. It has men’s, women’s, intercollegiate and youth teams in the US and Canada.

The US Cerebral Palsy Athletic Association
Provides individualized sports training and competitive opportunities for athletes with cerebral palsy or related challenges such as Traumatic Brain Injury or strokes. *includes information on the Paralympics–a competition for elite athletes with physical disabilities.

US Deaf Ski and Snowboard Association
A non-profit recreational and competitive organization of deaf skiers and snowboarders. The site includes a calendar of events, list of resorts and trips.

National Wheelchair Poolplayers Association
The governing body for wheelchair billiards. They have cash tournaments around the country and have clinics.

Accessible Aviation
Provides access to flight instruction for “normally” abled and people with disabilities. Located in Mississippi.

American Deaf Volleyball Association
A volunteer, membership organization of recreational and competitive volleyball players who are hearing impaired.

American Association of Adaptive Sports Programs
Serves to enhance the health, independence and future economic self-sufficiency of youth with physical disabilities through a national sports movement.