Teaching Model: Typical First Lesson

Students' disabilities range from quadriplegia and paraplegia to blindness, sight impairment and cognitive/emotional disabilities. AccesSportAmerica can accommodate any disability, while insuring safety, communication and equipment adaptation.

AccesSportAmerica Instructors prepare for each student, after an initial consultation, by selecting proper equipment adaptations and staff to accommodate his/her unique needs. During the student's first lesson, AccesSportAmerica Instructors discuss his/her specific abilities and goals. The student is shown the equipment and given as much choice as possible for adaptive alternatives. For example, if an ambulating student using forearm crutches wanted to windsurf, he/she has the options of standing rail on a windsurf platform, standing with an instructor for support, or beginning in a swivel chair.

Next, AccesSportAmerica Instructors secure the adaptive equipment and transfer the student onto the board while on the dock. Depending on the student, Instructors may briefly teach the basics of windsurfing, rowing/sculling or kayaking and the basic commands, and how to sail, row, or paddle out and back. Depending upon the location, a chase boat then tows the student with his/her instructor on the same board or boat to an area suitable to sail, row, or paddle.

The focus is on actual participation, rather than lengthy tutorials on the dynamics of these sports. By having an instructor moving a boom with the student, or sitting behind helping in the rowing motion, the student can progress quickly to increased independence.

If a student is paraplegic or quadriplegic with some functional grip, he/she can usually progress to windsurfing independently in a chair attached to a catamaran board in the third session. Rowing/sculling often takes more physical exertion. Lessons are shorter and the time it takes to acquire the skills to row with some independence in the tandem rig are more variable than with windsurfing.

Students reach independence quite quickly in kayaking. Within minutes of coming to the dock, most students will experience some independence in paddling either with adapted paddles or with traditional set-ups.

On the water, we hope to enable students to have as much control as possible. Students sense a feeling of independence and freedom in every lesson. Some students participate once a year; others on a weekly basis. The time is designed to foster imagination and confidence in each student.