People who have medical conditions or physical handicaps can engage in exercise and sporting events adapted to their limitations and capabilities. Adaptive activities cater specifically to the needs of the individual, whether he's diagnosed with Down's syndrome, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease or other limitations. Adaptive exercises and sports afford the disabled the same opportunities to benefit as fully-abled people.
Adaptive Equipment
Adaptive variations on swimming, skydiving, horseback riding or canoeing and wheelchair-bound sports like tennis, soccer, baseball and football, offer opportunities for the disabled to participate. For example, therapeutic horseback riding utilizes special mounting equipment and saddles for the handicapped. Reins may be adapted, as may stirrups and riding boots.
Lighter baseball bats with wider handles may help those who have difficulty grasping. Scoops with handles can be substituted for baseball gloves, and balls may be larger, lighter and more brightly colored to cater to the needs of those who have grasping or vision problems.
Dimensions
An adaption for those in wheelchairs may be to decrease the size of the playing field, such as decreasing the distance between goals in soccer or the length of a track. Sports such as volleyball use a shorter court and lower net, but otherwise their rules are similar to those of their traditional counterparts.
Rules
Rules may be adapted to cater to the needs of the disabled -- changing the types of grasps or body positions allowed, for example. Adaptive rules may allow the use of different body parts, such as the hands instead of the feet for soccer, or feet instead of hands in basketball. Two-handed dribbling may be allowed in basketball; walking may be allowed in soccer.
Time constraints may also be eliminated or adapted to the needs of the individuals playing. For example, time limits for dribbling a basketball may be done away with, or periods lengthened for sports like football. Batters for softball or baseball can be allowed extra time to reach bases or wheeled to bases in a wheelchair. Such sports may also eliminate strikeouts, and allow non-handicapped personnel to aid the players with certain actions.
Guides
Audio or visual guides for the blind or deaf enable the disabled to enjoy sports such as skiing, horseback riding, shooting and weightlifting.
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