Mobility Friends Together

The Paralympics are set to begin next week and many athletes from all over the World are heading to Beijing for the games. Among them is a tennis star named Gordon Reid, who is 16 years old.

Reid has been playing tennis since he was 6 years old. He continued to be very active in sports, including football, until just prior to his 13th birthday he was diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis, which is a neurological condition that affects the spinal cord.

After his diagnosis and subsequent paralysis, Reid did not give up. The tennis club he belongs to started a fundraiser to buy him a wheelchair that was configured for wheelchair tennis. The club, Helensburgh Tennis Club, was able to raise these funds in only a short time and used them to buy a wheelchair for another athlete as well.

Only six months after being diagnosed with Transverse Myelitis, Reid won his first wheelchair tennis tournament and since he has rose through the ranks. Last year Reid one the National Men’s Singles champion and at 15 became the youngest athlete to claim this honor. That same year Reid also won the International Wheelchair Tennis Junior Masters.

Currently Reid is ranked at 36th in the world’s single ranking and is set to be the youngest member to ever represent Great Britain in the Paralympics.

There are many great athletes that are mobility challenged and are probably in better shape than the author of this blog. Wheelchair basketball has probably received the most attention, but there are a great number of other sports that people in wheelchairs and those that are mobility challenged participate in. Water sports are very popular and it is not only those who are not able to walk that enjoy them. Blind Waterskiing is very popular and there are many strong and brave athletes around the world that participate in it.

One man, Gerald Price, is well known in the blind waterskiing circle and in 2004 set a world speed record for blind waterskiing. This achievement alone is very impressive, but Price was 70 years old when he set this record and is still very active today. Last month, in protest to a recent ban on motor boats at England’s largest lake, Price skied around the lake at speeds of up to 28 miles per hour.

Price stated that he did not do it to break the law, but to raise awareness to what he feels are draconian laws. He said that he felt robbed of his enjoyment by the ban that does not allow boats to travel more than 10 miles per hour while on the lake.

At 74 years old, Gerald Price is still very active in the blind skiing community and is a very strong and brave athlete. He is joined by many others who have overcome their disability and use sports as a way of freeing their mind and their body.

Getting around is something that some people take for granted, but if you are mobility challenged, then many everyday tasks can be much more difficult. To help ensure that everyone, no matter what their physical condition, is able to get around, the American’s with Disabilities Act was enacted in 1990. The ADA is designed to ensure that public businesses make their buildings easily accessible to everyone, but it doesn’t always do enough.

Under the ADA, new construction of public businesses is required to meet certain standards. Older buildings that were built before 1990, are required to take actions to remove barriers where the barriers can be easily accomplished without too much difficulty, but many find this last clause to be insufficient.

Since there sometimes is a great cost associated with upgrading and retrofitting an establishment to be accessible, the Internal Revenue Service has a program aimed at helping to defer these costs. Small businesses can apply for and potentially receive tax breaks to help offset about fifty percent of the cost of renovations. For example a business that expands its doors can receive up to a $5,000 tax break.

This action of the IRS does help out and many businesses do take advantage of the tax credits, but there are still plenty of places that a person who is mobility challenged can find it difficult to go.

One man, Kenny Cieplik, has created his own blog to rate how accessible places are. Included in his reviews are ways that the places can help to improve their ratings.

The National Veterans Wheelchair Games concluded last week. More than 500 athletes participated in the event this year, which was held in Omaha Nebraska. This marks the end of the 28^th event.

These great athletes joined together to compete and while there was a strong sense of competition, there was also a strong sense of brotherhood amongst the many athletes. Among the many different events that were held this year were wheelchair basketball, wheelchair tennis, wheelchair softball, quad rugby, power soccer, and many other fun events.

Many of the people competing had never competed at a wheelchair sporting event before and the games go a long way towards helping their physical health as well as their mental health.

One veteran, who was wounded while fighting in Afghanistan, found that he was able to enjoy many of the same things he enjoyed before he was wounded. The veteran, Tyler Wilson, was amazed at how close everyone who competes is. Those who have been to the games before are quick to help the new comers and create an excellent environment.

Tyler, who competed in bowling, air guns, archery, trapshooting, and nine-ball events, left the competition with one gold medal, a silver metal, and two bronze medals. He is very excited about next years games and sees this as a very positive type of rehabilitation.

There were no losers at this years Games and all of the athletes that competed should be commended for their bravery both on the field and off.

Frequently those that are a little older or who are mobility challenged, find that it is very difficult to walk for extended periods of time. This can make going to the grocery store very difficult if not impossible and can greatly reduce your ability to travel. A mobility scooter is one type of medical equipment that can help solve this problem.

A mobility scooter is a device that is used by people of all ages who can not walk without difficulty. An electric wheelchair and a mobility scooter are very closely related, but differ slightly in their construction. A mobility scooter uses a larger base and a chair is mounted towards the rear of the base. At the front of the base is a set of handlebars which are mounted to an adjustable tiller.

Many mobility scooters are available to today. Their range can vary greatly, with some able to travel as far as 50 miles on a single charge, but most have a range that is around 20 miles. They use rechargeable batteries though, so if you need to double your range, you can purchase an extra battery pack and swap out the packs when you run out of juice.

One of the great things about a mobility scooter is that it enables you to keep up with your family. You can go to the park with the grandkids or go with your family as they explore New York City. Most travel at speeds of between 4 and 5 miles per hour, but some mobility scooters are capable of speeds over 10 miles per hour.

Those who have difficulty walking will greatly benefit from a mobility scooter, which improves mobility and the ability to move around freely without assistance.