Assistive technologies increasing participation in sport

Innovations making it easier for athletes with disabilities to play

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Reported by Maxim Fossey

Assistive technologies have helped bring many people with disabilities into sports. These opportunities are growing for local athletes, and is the focus of a UBC panel happening next week.

Andrea Bundon, assistant professor at UBC’s school of kinesiology and one of the speakers of the April 8 panel, said a lot more research has been done in those technologies in recent years.

“This is something that’s good for the athletes. There’s a sort of social obligation to help people with disabilities that provide opportunities,” Bundon said.

Bundon said that paralympic athletes have been successful with social media by getting a lot more publicity and sponsorships, and spreading awareness about the paralympic movement.

Researching new technologies

Cameron Gee, a PhD candidate in kinesiology at UBC, said that post-secondary institutions across Vancouver are working on research to improve assistive technologies for sports.

“There is a group at Camosun College on Vancouver Island that use 3D scanning and rapid prototyping techniques to create individualized seats and different assistive technology that are helping a lot of athletes with comfort, which can help to improve stability, speed, and agility, which are important for many para-sports such as sledge hockey and wheelchair rugby,” Gee said.

Ethan Hess, a local para-nordic skier, said that the better the technology gets for sit-skis, the faster he can go and the better he gets.

“I think sports for people with disabilities is incredibly important,” Hess said. “And can really help people in a bunch of ways to deal with having a disability.”

Gee said the Canadian Paralympic teams are making athletes appear as superhumans with all the impressive things they do.

“When I tell people about friends that have been surfing or skiing, they can’t believe it.”

 

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