Iowa COMPASS News

 

 

RECREATION ISSUE!

Exercise is for EVERY Body

Are you interested in exercising or participating in a sport? Are you looking for information on ways to adapt a sport or fitness activity? Or, are you trying to find adapted sports equipment? This issue will help you get started.

Exercise is a key factor in maintaining and improving overall health. In 1996, the Surgeon General of the United States reported, "significant health benefits can be obtained with a moderate amount of physical activity, preferably daily." These benefits are even more important if you have a disability, since people with disabilities have a tendency to live less active lifestyles. It doesn't matter what you choose to do, so long as you choose to get a moderate amount of physical activity each day.

A great place to start is the National Center for Physical Activity and Disability. Their website is www.ncpad.org/. This site provides general exercise guidelines you should review before getting started. There are fact sheets on how to modify a large variety of indoor and outdoor sports or activities including adapted equipment.

 

 

Rock N’ Roll Cycles brings you a hand-powered bicycle that works with an easy forward and backward motion of the handlebars. This motion propels the bike forward giving you a great cardiovascular exercise. You can also combine foot pedaling with the rocking motion. The bikes range from pediatric to adult sizes. For more information call Rock N’ Roll Cycles at 1-800-654-9664 or check their website at www.rocknrollcycles.com/.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Coaster-21 speed hand cycle from Prime Engineering offers racing technology to the recreational rider. This easy-to-use hand cycle gives you high-grade components that give you a comfortable, high-performance ride. For more information contact Prime Engineering at 1-800-800-3355; e-mail info@primeengineering.com; website at www.primeengineering.com/.

 

 

 

 

For information on these and other assistive devices please call the Iowa COMPASS office or e-mail compassproducts@uiowa.edu.

 

 

Who Pays for Recreational Assistive Technology?

 

Recreational assistive technology is one (of many) under-funded areas for adult Iowans with disabilities. For children with disabilities in Iowa the picture is somewhat better.

If you are (or know) a child with a disability in need of a hand-pedaled cycle, Athletes Helping Athletes is a good place to start. This program provides hand-cycles to qualifying children less than 18 years of age. I first learned of this program in 2002 and the first person I referred to it became a hand-cycle recipient!  You can contact me for more information or visit their website at www.athleteshelpingathletes.org.

Another resource for children is the Disabled Children's Relief Fund. They make small grants for equipment (somewhere in the $300 - $500 range). These grants requests can be for adapted recreational equipment. They take applications from April through September. Again, I have a fact sheet that describes the program or you can check out their website (and apply online) at www.dcrf.com.

 

Please feel free to contact the Iowa COMPASS office at 1-800-779-2001 with questions about this or other assistive technology funding. You can also send questions to compassfunding@uiowa.edu.

 

 

Living Well with a Disability

 

Living Well with a Disability is a training that targets individuals with mobility disabilities. The topics covered are:

• Goal-setting
• Physical fitness
• Nutrition
• Beating the blues
• Safety
• Accessing information

Sessions started in September at the Evert Conner Center for Independent Living located in Iowa City. Participants could enroll in a one-year study on the effects of the Living Well program with health and quality of life. The Living Well program and study are supported by the Centers for Disease Control through a grant on the Prevention of Secondary Conditions Additional partners include:

• Center for Disabilities and Development
• Prevention of Disabilities Policy Council
• University of Iowa College of Public Health
• Iowa Department of Public Health

 

For more information contact Mike Hoenig at 319-353-6448.

 

 

 

 

Iowa COMPASS                                                                                                    Nonprofit Organization

Center for Disabilities and Development                                                                                U.S. Postage

University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics                                                                                            PAID

100 Hawkins Drive, Rm S295                                                                                        Permit Number 45

Iowa City, Iowa 52242-1011                                                                                               Iowa City, Iowa