Hoops and Wheels

Hoops and Wheels

For this assignment, I chose to spend the day with a longtime girlfriend of mine, who is currently wheelchair bound as a result of Rheumatoid arthritis. I first met her several years ago when I began playing on a women’s recreational basketball league. She was our coach. Prior to her disease, she had been a great basketball player in her own right and parlayed her knowledge, skill and love of the game, into being an amazing coach. Our 10-2 record was proof positive of her outstanding coaching ability. Regardless of her disability an inability to physically partake in the games, she remained court side, encouraging and inspiring our team, in more ways than just “how to play” the game of basketball. She taught us that when life throws you an “air ball” pick it up and slam dunk it next time! Although many of my teammates were in our thirties and forties, coach pushed us as hard as if we were teenagers. Knowing she did not allow her disability to greatly impede her own life, drove many of us to try a little harder than what I think we normally would have done otherwise. 

On the day of our get-together, we planned to have a picnic lunch at a local park, enjoy what was to be a pleasant Saturday afternoon, then attend the children’s basketball game at our local church. Although she and I, along with our families, had several meals together in the past, I never really paid that close of attention to difficulties she might experienced as a result of her disability. Honestly, I never really viewed her any differently than myself. It was this particular assignment however, that forced me to look at and consider how she might be effected by different environments and difficult situations, which many of us take for granted.

On a daily basis, one of the many concerns someone in a wheelchair faces, is without a doubt, that of accessibility. In each location we attended, I noticed they made generous accommodations for anyone with any type of disability. The park had very wide, paved walking paths and the picnic areas, in particular the tables, were adequately adapted for wheelchair use. Next, the church where the basketball game was held, also provided adequate accessibility. The building was equipped with ramps, handicapped parking, electronic hand pressed doors, handicapped stalls in the restrooms and many of the handles and drinking fountains throughout the building were user friendly, as their are many members of the church with different disabilities. 

While at the park, the activity level was very high and was attended by a very diverse gathering of people. I noticed also, that my friend was not the only wheelchair bound person at the park that day. A young boy who appeared to be a paraplegic, graced us with his presence as well.  Regardless, the activity level was high and no one seemed to even notice my friend or the other wheelchair as “standing out”, except for maybe a few small children who starred with innocent curiosity. As would be expected, the activity level at the basketball game was also high, but little notice was given to my friends’ disability, at least not to my knowledge, anyway.

The actual physical environment of each venue, as I stated earlier, did not lack much with regards to issues of adaptability. Much praise should be given to those who planned the layout of both the park and the church, since apparently no expense had been sparred to ensure that each was adaptable to all citizens, members and its participants.

From the perspective of comfort, once again each location had been subtly, but effectively designed in such a way that comfort and ease of use was achieved. Nothing at the park seemed to take my friend out of a comfortable position in which not to enjoy our time. The church gymnasium, while having two sets of bleachers on either sides, also incorporated a elevated stage at one end, overlooking the court and providing a tremendous view of the game.

For our outing, neither location gave any measure of discomfort for either my friend or myself as a result of crowding. Crowding simply was not a problem as everyone was able to spread out either within the park or around the gymnasium.

Privacy within each location was relative to one’s position within that environment. Although we were at a wide open park, there was enough space that even though there were many people there, we did not feel like our privacy was being infringed upon.  Likewise, at the church, the openness and spaciousness of the gymnasium still afforded us with a relatively nice degree of privacy in that we could continue to carry on private conversation.

While both locations provided a high degree of sensory stimulation, I think the park may have provided more, simply due to the diversity of people and activities taking place. Certainly there was an intense level of sensory stimulation at the basketball game, but the park seemed to have had so much more in terms of sights, sounds and smells.

Regarding sociality, the park may have provided less opportunities for social interaction simply due to its spaciousness. The church however, was a considerably smaller, more intimate setting allowing for more opportunities for social interaction.

Overall, this was a great experience and one that definitely opened my eyes a little more to become less oblivious and more aware of the many different struggles someone with a disability faces, in the world around them.