Wheelchair sports!

SD83’s sport wheelchairs are back in schools!

Eight schools this year have the amazing opportunity to use these chairs for an adapted physical education (PE) unit. “We are wheeling into schools and students are loving it,” comments healthy schools co-ordinator Laura Paiement. She adds the feedback from students and teachers is incredible. “All students are actively engaged during the PE class and students love learning the new skills of wheeling while playing different games, obstacle courses, and sports such as wheelchair basketball. Students don’t want to stop and are sad to see them go when the wheelchairs head to another school.”​

The Wheelchair PE unit is a true example of inclusion, creating an opportunity so all students are at the same level for the activities being performed in the wheelchairs which is one of the reasons students find it so fun and engaging, explains Paiement. “Students are also learning a new way of moving, being active, and physically literate. For students who are in a wheelchair or who have a disability, it allows them to participate in PE in a very meaningful way.”

She comments that this unit also gives students an opportunity to look at life through another lens. “Through this learning students have demonstrated sincere respect and empathy for athletes and others living day-to-day with the aid of a wheelchair. The whole experience promotes powerful messages about ability, empathy, inclusion and perseverance,” she adds.

Outside of PE, teachers are using the Rick Hansen Foundation BC school’s toolkit to learn more about how to make the world more accessible for people with disabilities. It helps to encourage youth to take action on issues that matter to them and inspires youth to become leaders in creating an accessible, inclusive world.

She notes that schools are following safety plans and sanitizing all wheelchairs just like all other PE equipment. High school teachers can acquire adults sized chairs to use with their students through the BC wheelchair basketball schools program (click here for more information).