For any left-handed kid who went through elementary school in the 50’s, you know there were no left-handed scissors available. Like the right-handed desks to which you were assigned, you struggled but you adapted. Did this make all left-handers “special needs kids?” Left-handers clearly had a need different from most of the class but it didn’t take an IEP to meet their need – it took an appropriate pair of scissors.
Providing a left-handed child with left-handed scissors may not seem like a big deal but in reality this grade school level skill of knowing how to use a pair of scissors brings confidence, self-esteem and a sense of accomplishment. It alleviates the feeling of uselessness and clumsiness and leads to opportunities to be part of an activity and participate alongside friends and share in the success of a finished product.
For kids living with a disability, much of their developmental years are spent metaphorically using right-handed scissors when they are left-handed. They struggle to participate and ultimately lose their self-confidence. Worse yet they are simply left to sit on the sidelines much like the wheelchair basketball playing high school student who qualified for the stand up basketball team but, without knowing how to include her, was assigned to be a scorekeeper.
Desert Ability Center (DAC) is dedicated to increasing the inclusion of children and youth with disabilities. DAC improves their quality of life through events and activities that increase their engagement within the community and connects them to their peers, both those with and without disabilities. Most importantly DAC provides the adaptive equipment that guarantees their inclusion and the support of staff to successfully implement programs.
Children who live with a physical disability or orthopedic challenges may not require educational support services and, therefore, may not be covered by an Individual Education Plan, commonly known as an IEP. Likewise, students with physical disabilities, who routinely represent 1% or less of the student population are considered “low incidence.” State educational census of low incidence disabilities often reports as no students having any one of the low incidence disabilities which includes physical/orthopedic disabilities, blindness and low vision and deaf and hard of hearing. The absence of the numbers reflecting these students creates an out of sight, out of mind scenario unless someone stands up to ensure their inclusion in opportunities available to other students.
Creating opportunities is not as difficult as one would think. Bert Gillette, a former recreational therapist, states failing to figure out how to adapt an activity happens not because it can’t be done – it’s because we failed to be creative enough in figuring how to make it happen. “You will be blown away by what you can do with a little duct tape and foam.”
Damian, now a freshman in high school, was 8-years old when we met him. He was invited to join a rock-climbing adventure to Joshua Tree. Excited as much as he was scared, he headed to the high desert to face what seemed like an insurmountable wall.
Climbing gear in place, helmet tightened, body shaking, he took his first tentative step. One step at a time he sought that sliver of rock that would hold him as he prepared for his next step. The summit inched closer. The space between him and the ground ever widened. And in the blink of an eye Damian passed the face of the rock to stand triumphantly at the summit. Who would have thought to include a kid who had no legs?
This simple act of inclusion opened Damian’s eyes and door after door of opportunity. In 2012 he was introduced to handcycling at Limb Loss Education Day held in Palm Desert. He was provided a child-size recumbent handcycle, which he rapidly outgrew. He was then provided an upright handcycle trike, which, again he outgrew. Outfitted with a youth/adult size handcycle Damian began to ride with DAC during their community rides. Today he rides a racing cycle with the adult riders completing 20-mile rides on a regular basis.
Over the eight years DAC has known Damian, he has not only climbed and cycled but also participated in wheelchair tennis and wheelchair basketball. Through a private trainer, he participated in karate as both a stand up as well as a wheelchair competitor, achieving his orange black belt in just a few months of training.
As Desert Ability Center has grown and developed, we have learned that it is not about telling our kids with disabilities what they can do, it is about asking them what they want to do and then making it happen. We give them the opportunity to “show us just what they’re made of” which is far more than they are given credit for on a regular basis.
Desert Ability Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to serving children and youth with physical disabilities. For more information contact them and (760) 674-7073 or see their website at www.desertabilitycenter.org
