Basketball In Wheelchairs

Wheelchair basketball is played by thousands of disabled people across the world. This disabled sport is governed by the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) and is recognized by the International Paralympic Committee as a disability sport.

The IWBF has 82 National Organizations for Wheelchair Basketball, each participating in wheelchair basketball actively all around the year. As per the IWBF’s statistics, over 100,000 people across the world enjoy this popular disabled sport. Some of these players simply enjoy it for recreational purposes while others play professionally and even represent their country at international levels. Whether you are a man or a woman or even a child, you can play wheelchair basket ball too.

It must however be noted that wheelchair basketball is not just a casual sport and is in fact a very cometitive disabled sport and as a result, it is not surprising that it is one of the mot popular disability sports at the quadr-annual Paralympic Games.  Participants from several countries participate in the Paralympic Games, some of the most common including USA, Canada, Australia, Great Britain, The Netherlands and Japan. The winning country receives the Gold Cup for Wheelchair Basketball.

Basketball In Wheelchairs: Other Details

Wheelchair basketball first started being played in the 1940s through a rehabilitation program at the Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Buckinghamshire, England. It has since developed and grown into an internationall well known disability sport. While it was initially known as Wheelchair Netball, it finally developed into what is today known as Wheerlchair Basketball.

In addition to the Paralympics, players of wheelchair basketball also compete in several other events. One of the most important competitions for his disabled sport is the Wheelchair Basketball World Championship (WBWC).  It started in 1973 and was first played in Bruges, Belgium and the championships wre won by the team from Great Britain.  The next WBWC is due to be held in 2010 and will be hosted by Birmingham, England.

What Are Disabilities Sports?

There are several disabled sport opportunities available

Disability sports consist of participation in athletic games by physically or mentally disabled individuals. These individuals may be inherently disabled or be disabled due to some unfortunate event in their lives. Either way, participation in any kind of disabled sports requires the individual to have some sort of limiting factor that excludes them from regular sports. Disability sports events are organized in ways slightly different than other common sports. Most of the time, while organizing a disability sport, the same existing sport is taken and then modified according to specific disability requirements of the group of individuals concerned. Other times, special disabled sports events are created for the benefit of such individuals. These disabled sports might not have any counter-part in regular sporting events but are fairly commonly recognized among specific organizations.

Types of Disability Sports Events

Disability sports can be broadly divided in to 3 general types:

• Disabled sports for individuals with a mental incapability
• Disabled sports for individuals with a physical incapability
• Disabled sports for the deaf

In order to cater to the various different kinds of disabilities, different disability sports events have been set up for such individuals. Some of the most common disability sports that are nationally or even internationally famous are:

• Special Olympics
• Disability Commonwealth Games
• Deaflympics
• Paralympic Games

Importance of Disability Sports

Sports, in general, takes up an important place in the lives of most individuals. However, disability sports has a whole new level of importance in the lives of individuals suffering from a mental or physical disability or their friends and families.

• Disabled sports gives prior athletes who are now disabled another opportunity at playing their sport which used to be their life at one point.
• These disability sport events makes individuals feel a sense of belonging that every game team brings with it.
• Disability sports provides a sense of confidence of independence within a person.
• Staying active even provides much needed exercise to some individuals.
• Most importantly, disabled sports improves the psychological factors affecting a disabled individual by making them feel like they can achieve new heights for themselves.

Disability sports have provided a much needed revival of confidence and intelligence within the large group of disabled individuals in this country. Many of these individuals are extremely talented in various sports and these disability sport events provide an opportunity for them to portray them. With efforts being made worldwide to have this form of disabled sports accepted by all, it is almost certain that disability sports will soon become a very common event in many countries of the world.

Reference:

1. About Disabled Sports USA – Disabled Sports USA

Things to Remember While Coping with Disability

Dealing with disabilities can be an overwhelming process. People with disability conditions are trying to come to terms with the fact that some aspect of their lives is limited and harder to adjust to. A disability can be either a gradually acquired disability that is apparent from birth or soon after or it may be a new handicap or a sudden disability. While disability support is required for both these situations, coping with disability is highly dependent on when and how it was acquired.

Newly Acquired Sudden Disability

A newly acquired sudden disability can be a life changing event for an individual. As it is a sudden disability, it was not expected and coming to terms with it might take considerable time and mental effort from anyone. Dealing with disabilities in the form of a new handicap can be harsh and extremely difficult. However, remembering certain points would help people with disability of any nature overcome their new handicap.

• Accepting your new handicap is the first step to leading a better life. Getting over the shock of this sudden disability may take awhile to adjust to. However, with proper disability help, one must accept this condition and try to move on with their lives.

• It is not advisable to indulge in self pity over your new handicap. While it may be shocking and unbelievable at first, the news of your sudden disability will soon fade and if you keep feeling sorry for yourself then you lose the ability to try and improve your life.

• Sinking into depression is never the answer to any problem. Dealing with disabilities may be a hard and lengthy process, but sadness will only make things more difficult for you.

• Getting accustomed to the reaction of people around you when they discover your new handicap can be a challenging task. You must expect all kinds of pleasant or unfriendly reactions from people around you.

• Never get angry at people for showing their ignorance regarding your sudden disability. Some people are inherently hurtful while interacting with people with disability. Be patient with them or simply ignore them but never lose your temper.

• Seek the help of family and friends who you can trust to provide you with proper disability support and use their help to overcome your new handicap

Gradually Acquired Disability

A disability may be a gradually acquired disability or acquired at birth. While it is easier to adjust to such conditions when they are apparent from the early stages of your life, it is still not a comfortable journey. People with disability of any sort undergo tremendous emotional pressure and physical and mental hardships all through their lives. Keeping these tips in mind would help a person with an acquired disability lead a better life:

• Stay positive and hopeful for a bright future for yourself. Spreading positive energy around you will bring good things your way and keep you happy with your life.
• Make people comfortable with your acquired disability so that they can look beyond it and look inside you to determine your bright personality.
• Seek disability help from the federal government and various disability support groups and the help of family and friends to make your life smoother.
• Be open to changes in your life regarding your acquired disability. Technology is constantly coming up with new ways to benefit people dealing with disabilities. Exploring these disability support features may assist you to improve the quality of your life.
• Be compassionate towards other people with disability. You of all people would know what it is like to be coping with disability as you have dealt with it for a long time. Recognize the pains of others and help guide persons with a new handicap in the right direction.

Life can seem unfair and cruel at times. Dealing with disabilities may seem like a never ending task of your life. However, staying positive about it and spreading joy around you would benefit you to get over your condition and lead a fairly normal life. Whether you have an acquired disability or a new handicap, coping with disability in any form can be challenging. Keeping one’s sprit up and seeking disability help from family and friends and disability support from government organizations would contribute towards a brighter future for people with any disability.

Reference:

1. Dealing with Disabilities – Met Life Insurance & U.S. Dept of Education
2. How to Cope with Sudden Illness & Disability – Disabled World