Wheelchair Sports Activities

The psychological and physical benefits of sports participation opened up exciting opportunities and challenges for disabled athletes.

Wheelchair sports activities became officially recognized in 1957, when the first National Wheelchair Games were held in New York City. Since then, wheelchair sports activities have grown to internationally status and are attended by thousands of athletes each year.

Whether you are an athlete or not, exercise is important, regardless of your functional capabilities.

Information from the Christopher and Dana Reed Paralysis Resource Center (www.paralysis.org) indicates that people with disabilities are more prone to carrying excess weight because of a combination of changed metabolism and decreased muscle mass, along with a generally lower activity level.

Research shows that people in wheelchairs are at risk for shoulder pain, joint deterioration, even rotator cuff tears, due to the amount of stress they place on their arms. Quadriplegics, too, have pain in their shoulders.

The more weight to push, the more stress on the shoulder. Plus there’s the risk the skin faces: as people gain weight, skin folds develop which trap moisture, greatly increasing the risk of skin sores.

So there are compelling reasons to engage in fitness and take up a sport. Following is a list of global organizations dedicated to furthering wheelchair sports activities.

If you have suggestions for additional resources on wheelchair fitness and recreation, please click here to send an email.

ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORTING WHEELCHAIR SPORTS ACTIVITIES

American Association of Adapted Sports Programs
P.O. Box 451047, Atlanta, GA 31145
Ph: 404-294-0070, Email: sports@adaptedsports.org
AAASP is dedicated to enhancing the health, independence and future economic self-sufficiency of youths with physical disabilities by facilitating a national wheelchair sports activities movement.

Achilles Track Club
42 West 38th Street, Suite 400, New York, NY 10018
Ph: 212-354-0300, e-mail: AchillesClub@aol.com
Achilles’ mission is to enable people with all types of disabilities to participate in mainstream track and running athletics to promote personal achievement, enhanced self esteem, and the lowering of barriers between people.

Adaptive Adventures
P.O. Box 2245, Evergreen, CO 80437
Ph: 877-679-2770, Email: info@adaptiveadventures.org
Adaptive Adventures idenfies, promotes, and provides progressive recreational opportunities and wheelchair sports activities for people with disabilities and their families.

Alberta Amputee Sport & Recreation Association
P.O. Box 708, Station M, Calgary, Alberta, Canada T2P 2J3
Ph: 403-201-0507, Email: info@aasra.ab.ca
Alberta Amputee Sport and Recreaton Assocation supports and provides opportunity for amputees in recreation and sporting activities, in both disabled and able bodied events.

American Association of Adapted Sports Programs
P.O. Box 451047, Atlanta, Georgia 31145
Ph: 404- 294-0070, Email: sports@adaptedsports.org
Creates and facilitates competitive after-school wheelchair sports activities and athletics for kids in Georgia with physical disabilities or visual impairments in grades one through 12.

Australian Athletes with a Disability
Building A 1 Herb Elliott Avenue, Sydney Olympic Park
P.O. Box S83 Homebush NSW 2140
Ph: 61-2-9763-5819, Email: info@sports.org.au
Australian Athletes with a Disability is responsible for the administration of Australian Sports Organisation for the Disabled, Cerebral Palsy Sports and Recreation Federation of Australia and Wheelchair Sports Australia.

Australian Institute of Sports
PO Box 176, Belconnen, ACT 2616, Australia
Ph: 61-2-6214-1111, Email: asc@ausport.gov.auThe AIS is a pre-eminent elite sports training institution in Australia with world class facilities and support services.

Bay Area Outreach & Recreation Program
830 Bancroft Way, Suite 205, Berkeley, CA 94710
ph: 510-849-4663, E-mail: info@borp.org
The Bay Area Outreach and Recreation Program provides challenging and innovative sports and recreation programs to area residents with physical disabilities and visual impairments.

British Columbia Wheelchair Sports Association
224 - 1367 West Broadway, Vancouver, BC, V6H 4A9
Ph: 877.737.3090, Email: info@bcwheelchairsports.com
British Columbia Wheelchair Sports is a not-for-profit organization devoted to providing opportunities for athletes with physical disabilities.

Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association
#108-2255 St. Laurent Blvd., Ottawa, ON, K1G 4K3
Ph: 613-523-0004, Email: dlane@cwsa.ca
The Canadian Wheelchair Sports Association is a national sport organization representing wheelchair athletes.

Cerebral Palsy International Sports & Recreation Association
Postfach 100231, 53440 Bad Neuenahr, Germany
Ph.49-2641-916073, Email: sian.oelschlaeger@cpisra.org
CPISRA is committed to providing wheelchair sports activities and opportunities to those with cerebral palsy and related impairments.

Dansk Handicap IdrÊts-Forbund
Idrættens Hus, Brøndby Stadion 20, 2605 Brøndby
Ph: 4326-2626, Email: handicapidraet@dhif.dk

Disabled Sports USA
451 Hungerford Drive, Suite 100, Rockville, MD 20850
Voice: 301-217-0960, Email: information@dsusa.org
Disabled Sports USA is a national nonprofit, tax exempt organization providing sports and recreation services to children and adults with disabilities.

Disability Sport South Africa
Mandeville Sports Club, Corner 10th Street & 7th Avenue, Bezuidenhout Valley 2094
Ph: 011-616-7576, Email: info@dissa.co.za
DSSA provides access to all persons with a disability in South Africa to participate in wheelchair sports activities and recreation enabling them to achieve their potential.

Far West Wheelchair Sports - San Jose, California
Hover Community Center, 1677 Park Ave., San Jose, CA 95126
Ph: 408-794-1443, Email: lauri.yarwasky@sanjoseca.gov
Far West Wheelchair Sports promotes sports competition, recreation and fitness to people with physical disabilities and to recognize those achievements withing the community.

Finnish Association of Sports for the Disabled
Suomen Invalidien Urheiliitto, Kumpulantie 1, Finland, 00520 Helsinki
Ph: 019-613-191, Email: nina.jakonen@siu.fi

Grand Rapids Wheelchair Sports Association
235 Wealthy Street, SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49503
Ph: 616-242-0351, Email: info@grwsa.com
The Grand Rapids Wheelchair Sports Association is designed to help children and adults whose physical challenges require them to use a wheelchair to play competitive and recreational sports.

Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association
400 E. Illinois Rd, Lake Forest, IL 60045Ph: 847-283-0908, Email: chousner@glasa.org
Great Lakes Adaptive Sports Association exists to promote and optimal development and well being of youth and adults who have a primary physical or visual impairment through recreational, fitness and competitive wheelchair sports activities.

International Paralympic Committee
Adenauerallee 212-214, 53113 Bonn, Germany
Ph: 49-228-2097-200 E-mail: info@paralympic.org
Serves as the international governing body of sports for disabled athletes, acts as the International Federation for 12 sports, and supervises the Paralympic Summer and Winter Games and other multi-disability competitions.

K.S.I. "START" Szczecin
ul. Litewska 20, 71-344 Szczecin, Poland
Ph: 48-91- 431-58 -35, E-mail: start-szczecin@post.pl

Michigan Wheelchair Athletic Association
PO Box 1455, Troy, Michigan 48099
Ph: 248-321-2914, Email: crazwheel2@yahoo.com
Michigan Athletic Association hosts regional qualifying meets that are prerequisites for national competition, for athletes with mobility challenges. Athletes compete in a wide variety of wheelchair sports activities from track and field events to swimming.

National Disability Sports Alliance
25 West Independence Way, Kingston, RI 02881
Ph: 401-792-7130, Email: info@ndsaonline.org
National Disability Sports Alliance is the national coordinating body for competitive sports for individuals with cerebral palsy, traumatic brain injuries and survivors of stroke.

National Wheelchair Basketball Association
6165 Lehman Drive Suite 101, 80918 Colorado Springs, Colorado
Ph: 719-266-4082, Email: toddhatfield@nwba.org
National Wheelchair Basketball Association is comprised of 181 basketball teams within twenty-two conferences and today consists of men's, women's, intercollegiate, and youth teams throughout the U.S. and Canada.

National Wheelchair Softball Association
6000 West Floyd Avenue #110, Denver, CO 80227
Ph: 612-437-1792 Email: nwsainfo@yahoo.com
National Wheelchair Softball Association serves as the governing body for wheelchair softball in the United States. The game is played under the official rules of the 16-inch slow pitch softball as approved by the Amateur Softball Association of America with some exceptions geared toward the wheelchair user.

New South Wales Wheelchair Sports Association
PO Box 3244, Putney NSW 2112 , Australia
Ph: 02-9809-5260, Email: nswwsa@nswwsa.org.au
New South Wales Wheelchair Sports Association is the largest disability sporting group in Australia and conducts a wide and diverse range of wheelchair sports activities and programs catering to the novice to the elite paralympian.

Norwegian Sports Organization for the Disabled
Serviceboks 1, Ullevål stadion, 0840 Oslo, Norway
Ph: 47-21-02-90-00, Email: funksjh@nif.idrett.no
Norwegian Sports Organization for the disabled is sports association for physically disabled, visually impaired, deaf and mentally handicapped.

Ontario Wheelchair Sports Association
02-1185 Eglinton Ave. E., Toronto, Ontario M3C 3C6, Canada
Ph:416-426-7189, Email: info@ontwheelchairsports.org
Ontario Wheelchair Sports Association develops and supports opportunities for all members to participate in the association's wheelchair sports activities to the best of their ability.

Paralympics Ontario
1185 Eglinton Avenue E. Suite 102, Toronto, Ontario M3C 3C6, Canada
Ph: 800-265-1539, Email: info@paralympicsontario.ca
Paralympics Ontario provides leadership, resources, and opportunities for persons with a disability in the Ontario sport and recreation community.

Quebec Wheelchair Sports Association
4545 Pierre-De Coubertin, C.P. 1000, Succ. M, Montréal, Québec, Canada, H1V 3R2
Ph: 514-252-3108, Email: aqsfr@aqsfr.qc.ca
Quebec Wheelchair Association is the governance group for wheelchair sports activities in Quebec.

Wheelchair Race Series-British Columbia
#224-1367 W. Broadway, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6H 4A9
Ph: 877-737-3090, Email: info@wcraceseries.com
Wheelchair Race Series promotes the sport of wheelchair racing in British Columbia's lower mainland region and throughout the province.

Wheelchair Sports Alberta
Groat Road, Edmonton, Alberta, T5M 3K6, Canada
Ph: 888-453-6770, Email: wsa1@telusplanet.net
Wheelchair Sports Alberta is the governing body for wheelchair sports in Alberta.

Wheelchair Sports South Australia
P.O. Box 144, Greenacres SA 5086, Australia
Ph: 08-8349-6366, Email: wheelcs@senet.com.au
Wheelchair Sports South Australia is dedicated to serving those with spinal impairment, amputation or classifiable disability by providingh the maximum opportunity to participate in wheelchair sports activities and recreation.

Wheelchair Sports Victoria – Australia Ph: 03-9473-0133, www.wsv.org.au
Wheelchair Sports Victoria is a club for people in wheelchairs and offer extensive opporunities for competitive sports.

Wheelchair Sports, USA
1668 320th Way, Earlham, IA 50072
Office Phone/Fax : 515-833-2450 Email: wsusa@aol.com
Dedicated to the guidance and growth of wheelchair sports.

World T.E.A.M. Sports
Bayside Office Center, 150 Mt. Vernon St, Suite 2, Dorchester, MA 02125
Ph: 617-282-6104, Email: info@worldteamsports.org
World T.E.A.M. Sports brings individuals with and without disabilities together to undertake unique athletic events throughout the world to encourage, promote, and develop opportunities in sports for all people.

World Wheelchair Sports
3553 George Court, Eugene, OR 97401
Ph: 541-485-1860, Email: wscoach@efn.org
World Wheelchair Sports provides recreational wheelchair sports activites for people with mobility impairments.

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