Boston in Our Hearts

Posted on April 17, 2013 by mgalic

BlazeSports sends our thoughts and prayers to all the runners, spectators, and families affected by Monday’s horrific attack on a treasured national sporting and civic event. Our own Ann Cody reflects on what the Boston Marathon means to the athletes who dream of making that final turn onto Boylston Street.

On Patriot’s Day all of Boston comes together, as they have for over 100 years to stage one of the great sporting events in the world. The entire city celebrates this race and its athletes. The race course is lined with spectators who take the time to look up your race number so they can cheer you on by name, the smell of barbeque permeates the air tempting you to stop for a bite, and college students offer you a beverage as you pass on by. It is an incredibly celebratory event for everyone.

The Boston Marathon was the biggest race on my calendar when I was an elite wheelchair racer. My coach is from Boston and he wouldn’t have it any other way. Boston is a rite of passage for marathon runners and racers. Qualifying for and competing in Boston is a major life achievement. Family and friends – the people we treasure the most – make the pilgrimage to Boston to watch us race in the Marathon. My most treasured people have been spectators in those stands on Boylston Street.

Long before the Paralympics gained worldwide attention, the city and people of Boston were celebrating our sport and our athletes. From the race start to the press conferences to the awards ceremony to one of the most coveted prize purses in the world, Boston rolls out its red carpet for wheelchair racers. Television crews capture the lead racers and commentators call the entire race. The Boston Globe made household names of Jean Driscoll and Ernst van Dyke among others. We owe them our gratitude for hosting one of the great sporting events in the world.

For now, we will keep the city and the people of Boston in our hearts.

Written by Ann Cody, BlazeSports Director of Policy and Outreach

Posted in Blog, News |

Picking the Right Internship

Posted on February 4, 2013 by dhumphreys

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By Charity Mahone, BlazeSports Intern

Last semester, my professor, invited a representative from BlazeSports America to my Introduction to Sports Management course at Georgia State University. Admittedly, I was unaware of the organization. To be honest, I was quite familiar with the opportunities in athletics and professional sports. I never considered the possibility of working with individuals with a physical disability as it pertains to sports. Nevertheless, Dan Humphreys did an exceptional job explaining how individuals with physical disabilities actively participate in sports. Then he discussed the purpose of BlazeSports America and how the organization impacts the disability sports world.

 

After class, I immediately pursued an opportunity to be an intern at the organization. At the time, Jeff Jones, Director of Sport & Community Programs, was unavailable to extend me an interview. He was away on business. He promised me he would provide me the opportunity to interview with him when he returned. I believe a week or two passed. Honestly, I thought he forgot about me. I was wrong. When he returned, he did exactly what he told me—contacted me for an interview. That meant a lot to me. After the interview, he asked me when I needed to hear an answer by. I told him as soon as possible. Guess what? The very next day, he extended me an internship opportunity. Once again, he did exactly what he promised. As a student seeking to gain experience, his consistency further compelled me to take the internship opportunity with the BlazeSports.

 

Unfortunately, some students have a far from rewarding experience at their internship. Sadly, these students spend majority of their internship handling small task such as—filing or making copies. However, I am not having that experience with BlazeSports America. I have only interned three weeks with the organization but I am beyond happy with my choice. Why, you may ask? I have been given the opportunity to provide assistance to BIG events hosted by Blaze such as—The South Eastern Wheelchair Basketball Conference Championship, the Roosevelt Games, and the Dixie Games. Also my supervisor, Gillian Sharp, continues to provide me with daily opportunities to enhance my professional skills. For instance, just yesterday she invited me to accompany her to a business meeting and she even asked for my input. My supervisor asked for my input!

 

I am grateful and blessed to work with an organization that is focused with not only making the community better but making their employees and interns better professionals as well.

Posted in Blog, Internships |

Proper Grammar = $$$

Posted on January 14, 2013 by dhumphreys

As we enter 2013 I can’t help but think of the reports (http://azstarnet.com/news/national/some-states-opt-to-keep-cursive-in-curriculum/article_4e128d03-2fe4-5563-bd6e-e4a28da75d04.html) of 45 states considering curriculum changes that eliminate cursive handwriting in favor of keyboarding skills.  While this may simply be a sign of progress I shudder to think of a world in a few years where I show my niece (almost three years old now) a hand-written memento from her great-grandmother and she turns to me with a puzzled looks and asks “What language is that?”

While the demise of cursive handwriting may not be the end of the world, it comes at the same time that social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter are littered with contractions, slang, abbreviations, and acronyms that have all but replaced the lexicon and grammar that was part of the daily grade school and middle school curriculum for Generation X.  In many ways this is a result of limited space and time constraints coupled with the main objective of quickly communicating a simple, straight forward piece of information through social media.  But what is the cost of this new social media language?  The answer may lie in part in how deeply these habits have infiltrated our use of language and grammar in areas outside the social media context.

Have you allowed LOL and CU L8R to creep into your everyday lexicon?  Without the benefit of MS Word Spelling & Grammar Check do you know when to use there, their, and they’re or its and it’s?  Is your resume free from all spelling and grammar errors?  This article (http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2012/07/i_wont_hire_people_who_use_poo.html) by iFixit CEO KYLE WIENS posted on the Harvard Business Review Blog Network discusses the importance of  grammar in today’s job market.

We want to hear from you.  Do you think social media slang can affect the use of proper grammar in other areas of communication?

Posted in Blog |

#HOWCOOLISTHAT

Posted on December 18, 2012 by dhumphreys

The lack of live coverage in the United States of the London 2012 Paralympic Games did not go unnoticed by persons with disabilities residing in the U.S. and abroad.  While social media was buzzing with criticisms of the lack of planned live TV coverage in the U.S. leading up to and during the Games, not much has been said since.  The Inclusive Sport Initiative at the Institute of Human Centered Design is looking to make sure the general population has the opportunity to witness the athleticism of persons with disability through their #HOWCOOLISTHAT initiative.

The power of the mainstream media cannot be underestimated and it is the hope that the outcome of this campaign will be mainstream media coverage of  major disability sporting events throughout the world.  For more on the initiative please visit their website and social media outlets with the links below.

From http://www.humancentereddesign.org/projects/howcoolisthat

#HOWCOOLISTHAT

(Boston, MA, December 10, 2012)

The Inclusive Sport Initiative at the Institute of Human Centered Design is pleased to announce a new social media campaign, #HOWCOOLISTHAT

This campaign will use social media to address mainstream media coverage of disability sports in the United States and worldwide.

The most watched Paralympic Games in the History, London 2012, was broadcast to 3.8 billion people in over 115 countries. The USA, one of the biggest sporting nations in the world and sixth most successful country in the London 2012 Paralympics, didn’t have any live broadcast of any of London 2012 events. This made us think about the leadership position of the United States and all countries in ensuring the visibility of athletes with disabilities. (bold added)

Mainstream media has shown its power in helping create role models, change perceptions of people with disabilities and inspiring other to take part in sports.

The goal of our campaign is to capture videos and pictures of people’s reactions, feelings and thoughts as they watch disability sport videos.

Our aim is to increase awareness about disability sports as part of mainstream sports coverage. By showing and sharing highlights of disability sports, we would like to encourage everyone to share their feelings, thoughts and reactions on social media using #HOWCOOLISTHAT

We are hoping that it will open the dialogue and debate around the coverage of international championships, national competitions and other disability sports event by mainstream media.

Today is the United Nations international Human Right Day. This year’s focus is “Inclusion and the rights to participate in public life.” We chose this date as a symbolic day to launch our campaign.

Through this campaign, we are hoping to help and support all stakeholders working towards the development of a fully inclusive society where everyone has equal right of participation in play, work and any other societal activities.

Full visibility and access to participation in sport for people with disabilities shouldn’t be a dream: #HOWCOOLISTHAT will make it happen.

Contact:

Aurélie Pankowiak - Inclusive Sports Initiative

Email: aureliepank@gmail.com
Phone: 617-803-8148
Twitter: @disinsport

 

Posted in Blog, Policy/Advocacy |

International Day of Persons with Disabilities

Posted on November 20, 2012 by dhumphreys

 

Monday, December 3rd is the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities.  The theme for 2012 is Removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society for all.  According to the U.N. website, persons with disabilities are “the world’s largest minority”, with over one billion people, or approximately 15 per cent of the world’s population, living with some form of disability.

Evidence and experience shows that when barriers to their inclusion are removed and persons with disabilities are empowered to participate fully in societal life, their entire community benefits. Barriers faced by persons with disabilities are, therefore, a detriment to society as a whole, and accessibility is necessary to achieve progress and development for all.

The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) recognizes that the existence of barriers constitutes a central component of disability. Under the Convention, disability is an evolving concept that “results from the interaction between persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.”

Accessibility and inclusion of persons with disabilities are fundamental rights recognized by the CRPD and are not only objectives, but also pre-requisites for the enjoyment of other rights. The CRPD (Article 9, accessibility) seeks to enable persons with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in all aspects of life and development. It calls upon States Parties to take appropriate measures to ensure that persons with disabilities have access to all aspects of society, on an equal basis with others, as well as to identify and eliminate obstacles and barriers to accessibility.

In spite of this, in many parts of the world today, lack of awareness and understanding of accessibility as a cross-cutting development issue remains an obstacle to the achievement of progress and development through the Millennium Development Goals, as well as other internationally agreed outcomes for all.

The commemoration of International Day of Persons with Disabilities in 2012 provides an opportunity to address this exclusion by focusing on promoting accessibility and removing all types of barriers in society.

Visit United Nations Enable for more information on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).

 

Posted in Blog, Featured, International, Policy/Advocacy |

The power of sport crosses all cultures…reflections on Haiti

Posted on November 1, 2012 by jfranklin

This is the second installment of the blog by BlazeSports’ intern Kit McCluskey

After a week of reflecting upon our trip to Haiti Josh, Tommy and I realized how much of our outlook on life and sport has changed. As Paralympians, Josh and Tommy have traveled all over the world, but have never been to a developing country like Haiti. I have never been out of the country so like them, I wasn’t sure what to expect. We knew the 2010 earthquake affected the country tremendously, but had no idea how much. All of us were surprised with the amount of poverty and destruction. Josh imagined there would be a lot of homelessness, but not nearly to the extent there actually was, especially two years later.

On our last day, driving through Port au Prince, there were times when I couldn’t look out the window anymore. The level of poverty is heartbreaking. For some reason, it really hit me when it started to rain (and when it rains, it pours). People were huddled underneath anything they could find and all they could do was wait for it to pass. I thought about all the times it poured at night during the week and imagined people trying to seek shelter. Many of their houses didn’t even have four walls.

We all agreed that we enjoyed the training sessions the most, because we were able to interact with our Haitian counterparts. Everyone was really engaged and eager to learn how to work with people with disabilities. This is where it all has to start – with people who want to make a difference. Tommy believes the most valuable thing we did was exchange knowledge about different sports and recreation opportunities for people with disabilities and how to make them happen. Living in a developing country, opportunities may seem limited, but given the right tools people can make a significant impact.

The Disability Sports Festival was such an amazing event to be a part of. It was great to see how many people came out to the Festival from all over the country to participate and learn about different sports. Having events like this one will only continue to increase awareness and provide inclusion throughout the communities and country. We saw many people who didn’t have any type of assistance like a wheelchair or crutches and had to crawl to get where they were going. Seeing the severity of this situation was a bit of shock.

As a sport management major, traveling to Haiti really opened my eyes to the different career paths I could take. Being part of the training sessions and the festival, I was able to experience first hand the possibilities of working with people with physical disabilities internationally. All that I experienced in one week in Haiti I would not have been able to learn in the classroom.

The three of us, Josh, Tommy, and I had an unbelievable experience and if given an opportunity like this again, we would take it. Even with the challenges the people of Haiti have to face everyday it was incredible to see how everyone is able to adapt and continue on with their lives. With the short time we were there, we believe we started to make a difference and we can’t wait to see how Haiti will continue to grow in disability sport and as a country.

Posted in Blog, Global Initiatives |

October is National Physical Therapy Month!

Posted on October 24, 2012 by dhumphreys

Physical therapists (PTs) serve a crucial role in the lives of people who live with a physical disability. As with any client, PTs can help improve the quality of life by increasing mobility and motion thus making the activities of daily living easier and safer. But PTs can serve an even greater role in the lives of their clients with physical disability.

With the London 2012 Paralympic Games just behind us, examples of elite sport and athletes with physical disability have never enjoyed more publicity than in the last few months. From the Meet the Superhumans ads that ran on British TV Channel 4 and YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kKTamH__xuQ) to Oscar Pistorius representing South Africa in both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, very few people doubt the capabilities of elite athletes with physical disability. But does the average person living with a physical disability know all the options that are available to them through sport and recreation?

While few would doubt a PT’s ability to serve the needs of a client with a physical disability, does the average PT also have the general knowledge of all the options that exist in the world of sport and recreation for people living with a physical disability? Can the average PT serve as a knowledgeable resource for a client with a recently acquired spinal cord injury who mentions their love for basketball prior to their injury by telling her about wheelchair basketball and the National Wheelchair Basketball Association? A client with cerebral palsy who is ambulatory and loves soccer by directing him to 7-a-side football? A person with a visual impairment that is an avid and competitive runner who is rehabbing a chronic injury by discussing the competitive opportunities in Paralympic track and road racing?

As professionals who will likely come in contact with people with a physical disability it is a great advantage for a PT to have a working knowledge of adapted and disability sport and recreation as well as the Paralympic Games in order to holistically serve the client. You never know when you might be the first person to open the door to a whole new world for one of your clients.

BlazeSports offers a certification program that ensures you will have the ability to open these doors and change lives.  The Certified Disability Sport Specialist (CDSS) program provides a curriculum and resources that will enhance existing credentials such as PT, OT, CTRS, CPRP and others by demonstrating specialized knowledge is disability and adapted sport.  To find out more about the CDSS program and how you can enhance your ability to serve clients with a physical disability, visit http://www.blazesports.org/resources/professional-development/.

Have you had a PT that changed your life by introducing you to an adapted or disability sport? If so, we would love to hear from you!

For more information on National Physical Therapy Month visit the American Physical Therapy Association website at www.apta.org.

Posted in Blog, CDSS |