The Longwood Interdisciplinary Training for Inclusive Practices (ITIP) scholars and Dr. Lissa Power-deFur, Longwood’s faculty sponsor for the grant attended an event hosted by Sportable, one of the top Paralympic sport clubs in the country, at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).
Sarah Anderson, Alisa Kish, Abigail Short, Sarah Eversman, and Dr. Lissa Power-deFur joined their VCU counterparts, in occupational therapy (OT) and physical therapy (PT), and played floor volleyball, boccia, and wheelchair basketball.
“Sportable was an enlightening experience that provided me with new perspectives on individuals with disabilities and how Sportable accommodates sports so that everyone can play! I also enjoyed working with the OT and PT students as they discussed how these sports relate to their field,” Kish said.
The group learned how to take apart the equipment and transport it to the Sportable vehicle.
“The Sportable event was such a fun opportunity where we were able to explore and play with adaptable sports equipment. It was great to see how inclusive the organization is and the community they’ve brought together!” Eversman said.
Sportable, based out of Richmond, VA, is the only adaptive sports club in Virginia and one of the top paralympic sport clubs in the country. Sportable provides a fun, inclusive, competitive, and accessible environment for all individuals with physical and visual impairments. Over 400 athletes of all ages participate in sports such as archery, cycling, goalball, kayaking, power soccer, rock climbing, tennis, wheelchair basketball, wheelchair lacrosse, and wheelchair rugby.