"The mission of Disabled Sports USA is to provide national leadership and opportunities for individuals with disabilities to develop independence, confidence, and fitness through participation in community sports, recreation and educational programs."
A national nonprofit, 501(c)(3), organization
established in 1967 by disabled Vietnam veterans to serve
the war injured. DS/USA now offers nationwide sports rehabilitation
programs to anyone with a permanent disability. Activities
include winter skiing, water sports, summer and winter competitions,
fitness and special sports events. Participants include those
with visual impairments, amputations, spinal cord injury,
dwarfism, multiple sclerosis, head injury, cerebral palsy,
and other neuromuscular and orthopedic conditions.
A
Wide Variety of Recreational Opportunities
Disabled Sports USA is a nation-wide
network of community-based chapters offering a variety of
recreation programs. Each chapter sets its own agenda and
activities. These may include one or more of the following:
snow skiing; water sports (such as water skiing, sailing,
kayaking, and rafting); cycling; climbing; horseback riding;
golf; and social activities.
Rehabilitation professionals and even
the Federal Government recognize the importance of sports
and recreation in the successful rehabilitation of individuals
with disabilities. When first faced with the reality of a
disability, many experience a loss of confidence, depression,
and believe their lives have ended. They are often alienated
from family and friends because there are no shared positive
experiences. Sports and recreation offers the opportunity
to achieve success in a very short time period; to use this
success to build self-confidence and focus on possibilities
instead of dwelling on what can no longer be done. The ability
to participate in a sport, such as cycling; skiing; and sailing,
to name a few, provides the opportunity to reunite with family
and friends in a shared activity.
As
an extension of the rehabilitation process, Disabled Sports
USA offers competitive programs
in summer and winter sports. Competition improves sports skills.
It allows individuals to experience the excitement of competition
and the thrill of victory, as well as the agony of defeat.
These experiences help prepare individuals after rehabilitation
to face the adversity of a disability in their lives and to
learn to bounce back in the face of challenge and change.
The Road to
the Paralympic Games
As a member of the United States Olympic
Committee, DS/USA sanctions and conducts competitions and
training camps to prepare and select athletes to represent
the United States at the Summer and Winter Paralympic Games.
The Paralympic Games are the Olympic equivalent competitions
for individuals with disabilities and are recognized by the
International Olympic Committee. For those who want to achieve
their highest potential, opportunities are available for national
and international competitions in alpine and nordic skiing,
track and field, volleyball, swimming, cycling, powerlifting,
and other sports. The highest achieving athletes in each sport
can qualify for the Paralympics.
Disabled Sports USA was founded in 1967
by disabled Vietnam veterans. It was then called the National
Amputee Skiers Association. In 1972 the National Amputee Skiers
Association (NASA) was broadening its mission. No longer solely
serving skiers, NASA needed a new name. They chose to call
themselves the National Inconvenienced Sportsmen's Association.
In 1976, NISA became the National Handicapped Sports and Recreation
Association. The NHSRA name stuck until 1992 when the organization
was renamed to National Handicapped Sports. In October 1994,
after polling the organization's 80+ chapters and affiliates,
the National Board of Directors approved the most recent name
change to Disabled Sports USA.
According to Executive Director Kirk
Bauer, "Disabled Sports USA" was selected for the following
reasons:
- The word "disabled" brought the organization
in line with current language used by the federal government.
"Disabled" has become more universally accepted than "handicapped."
- Disabled Sports USA has become an organization
of global importance. Disabled Sports USA fields teams to
compete in the World Championships for track and field,
cycling, volleyball, and swimming. It is now necessary to
use "USA" rather than "National" to reflect this change
in scope.
- Almost all of the US Olympic Committee-member
National Governing Bodies for able-body sports have "US"
or "USA" within their name (such as USA Basketball, US Skiing,
and USA Volleyball). Disabled Sports USA is a Disabled Sports
Organization member of the U. S. Olympic Committee.
|
