AccesSportAmerica
Highlighting an adaptation and exploring assistive sport technology
Recumbent Bikes
Recumbent bikes enable mobility and fun for people who might not be able to ride the standard two-wheeled bike. With a recumbent bike, people with cerebral palsy don’t have to worry about tone or involuntary motions and people with multiple sclerosis don’t have to worry about limited balance.
Recumbent bikes distribute the biker’s weight across their back, butt, and legs, taking pressure off the butt while also stabilizing the biker. The three-wheeled, low-to-the-ground design also provides more stability.
I wonder if recumbent bikes could be adapted so that the biker could steer with their feet in case their upper body is weaker or if they only have one strong arm. I also wonder if this bike mechanism could be attached to a power chair so that the biker can experience the health and happiness benefits of biking and pressure relief without the hassle and potential inability to transfer from the power chair to the recumbent bike. Such an adaptation would afford the user a lot more independence and agency in that they could decide when they wanted to bike instead of having to wait for someone else to transfer them into the bike.
How might we adapt bowling for people with disabilities?
Bowling is both a social and individual sport.
In terms of adaptive equipment, I envision a ramp similar to existing bowling ramps, but instead attached to a power chair. By attaching the ramp, bowlers can fine-tune the placement of the ramp simply by moving their power chair, which is something they are well-accustomed to already. Attachment also minimizes the effects that high tone or muscular dystrophy might have on someone’s ability to move the ramp.
In terms of modifying the game, small adjustments such as putting up the guard rails on the lane, using a lighter ball or one with more ergonomic grips, and using lighter pins or pins of bright contrasting colors might help people with disabilities participate in bowling. Even a shortened lane to account for the distance that the ramp adds to the bowler’s shot may make bowling more accessible.
An existing piece of adaptive equipment for bowling is this bowling ball pusher. This device is intended for people in wheel chairs or even people with weak backs and joints to control the ball closer to the ground. This pusher is good for people who have the strength and desire to physically aim and push the bowling ball but may not have the grip configuration to hold the ball or cannot bend down closer to the level of the lane. Accessibowl sells one for $129 here.
