Assistive technology in sport is an area of technology design that is growing. Assistive technology is the array of new devices created to enable sports enthusiasts who have disabilities to play. Assistive technology may be used in disabled sports, where an existing sport is modified to enable players with a disability to participate; or, assistive technology may be used to invent completely new sports with athletes with disabilities exclusively in mind. An increasing number of people with disabilities are participating in sports, leading to the development of new assistive technology. Assistive technology devices can be simple, "low-tech", or they may use highly advanced technology, with some even using computers. Assistive technology for sports may also be simple or advanced. Accordingly, assistive technology can be found in sports ranging from local community recreation to elite Paralympic games. More complex assistive technology devices have been developed over time, and as a result, sports for people with disabilities "have changed from being a clinical therapeutic tool to an increasingly competition-oriented activity".

Assistive devices

Assistive devices can enable exercise and training, on top of enabling participation in a sport. Below are some of the assistive devices currently available for different impairments: * Mobility impairments: ** Light-weight wheelchairs for basketball, tennis, and racing ** All-terrain wheelchairs with rugged frames and wheels for rolling over unpaved surfaces, like hiking trails, snow, or beach sand ** Handcycles, or

recumbent bicycle A recumbent bicycle is a bicycle that places the rider in a laid-back reclining position. Most recumbent riders choose this type of design for ergonomic reasons: the rider's weight is distributed comfortably over a larger area, supported by ba ...

s, which are like bicycles with pedals and steering using only the rider's arms ** Cross-country sit skis that allow skiers to sit down and push along the trail with tips that dig into the snow ** Weights that users strap onto their wrists rather than having to hold them with the hands ** Gym equipment that lets users stay in a wheelchair while using arm exercise machines ** Mitts with Velcro straps that help users to hold onto an exercise machine if their grip isn't strong enough ** Elastic band or tubes that exercise muscles through resistance instead of weight ** Paramobile devices such as specialized golf carts with support for standing assist players with mobility disabilities ** Bowling balls with hand grips assist bowlers with limited use of their hands ** One-handed fishing rods assist fishers who have limited mobility * Visual impairments: ** Softballs that beep, so that people with visual problems can locate the ball to hit and catch it ** Basketballs with jingle bells inside for people who have limited or no eyesight File:First Swing program assistive tech golf.jpg, A golfer with a leg amputation uses an adaptive golf cart that has a chest strap to help him maintain his balance while standing on one leg. File:Wheelchair Curling Medal Round, Vancouver 2010 Paralympics.jpg, Wheelchair curling uses a specially adapted long stick to launch the "rock" down the ice. These players are delivering rocks in the 2010 Vancouver Paralympics. File:Scott McPhee and Kieran Modra riding 02.jpg, Australian Paralympic athletes using a two-seated tandem racing bicycle; the visually impaired cyclist pedals in rear, while a sighted "pilot" sits in the front.

Sports using assistive technology

Sports that use assistive technology may include the following: *Accessible Fishing & Hunting *Accessible Sailing / Boating / Kayaking *Adaptive Archery *Adaptive Bowling *Adaptive Flying *Adaptive Golf *Adaptive Horseback Riding/Equestrian *Adaptive Scuba Diving *Adaptive Shooting *Adaptive Skiing & Snowboarding *Adaptive Table Tennis *Adaptive Water Sports *Extreme Wheelchair Sports *Handcycling *Power Soccer *Quad Rugby *Sled, Floor & Power Hockey *Wheelchair Basketball *Wheelchair Curling *Wheelchair Fencing *Wheelchair Lacrosse *Wheelchair Pool and Billiards *Wheelchair Racing and Field Sports *Wheelchair Baseball *Wheelchair Softball *Wheelchair Table Tennis *Wheelchair Tennis *Wheelchair Volleyball *Wheelchair Weightlifting Many of the sports listed above have attained international elite sport status, being included in the

Paralympic Games The Paralympic Games or Paralympics, also known as the ''Games of the Paralympiad'', is a periodic series of international multisport events involving athletes with a range of physical disabilities, including impaired muscle power and impaire ...

Sports requiring assistive technology

Some sports have developed with the goal of creating a challenge that players with a disability could enjoy. These sports require assistive technology for all players as part of the game. Some examples are: Sledge (sled) hockey; wheelchair basketball;

adaptive sailing Adaptation, in biology, is the process or trait by which organisms or population better match their environment Adaptation may also refer to: Arts * Adaptation (arts), a transfer of a work of art from one medium to another ** Film adaptation, a ...

, with boats designed especially for sailors with disabilities; Nordic (cross-country) skiing with "sit-ski" buckets; and handcycling races.

Sport wheelchair design

Sport wheelchairs are designed for the requirements of specific sports. Power chairs can also be fitted with assistive devices that are temporary adaptations to the demands of a sport, such as a kick plate attached to a power chair for

powerchair football Powerchair Football (French: Foot-fauteuil), also known as Power Soccer, is a variant of association football for people with physical disabilities. Players use specially designed powered wheelchairs in order to maneuver and kick/hit an oversize ...

(power soccer). Light-weight frames are a necessity for wheelchairs used in sports requiring sharp, fast turns and overall agility, such as tennis, basketball, and racing. Chairs with reinforced frames and impact protection are required for contact sports, such as wheelchair rugby or basketball. Racing chairs are designed with bucket seats, angled wheels for improved stability, and a t-frame with a third wheel in front, allowing precision steering and improved balance. The athlete and wheelchair are viewed together by some sport researchers as a unified performance system. Improvements can be made to chairs by evaluating the chair and athlete separately or in performance conditions together. File:Bew 75km.JPG, A recumbent racing handcycle with a streamlined frame and thin road racing wheels. File:Wheelchair rugby game 2.jpg, Wheelchair rugby players use wheelchairs with strong frames, foot protection and wheel covers, to prevent injury in this contact sport. File:2008 Summer Paralympics Wheelchair tennis - men 2.jpg, Wheelchair tennis requires agility. These Paralympic players use highly manoeuvrable chairs that can change direction very rapidly Image: US v FR 2007 FIPFA WC.jpg,

Powerchair football Powerchair Football (French: Foot-fauteuil), also known as Power Soccer, is a variant of association football for people with physical disabilities. Players use specially designed powered wheelchairs in order to maneuver and kick/hit an oversize ...

, also called "power soccer", uses an attachment over the footrest of a

power wheelchair A motorized wheelchair, powerchair, electric wheelchair or electric-powered wheelchair (EPW) is a wheelchair that is propelled by means of an electric motor (usually using differential steering) rather than manual power. Motorized wheelchairs ar ...

to bump or push the ball.

Prosthetics

Prosthetic devices come in a variety of designs suited to different athletic purposes. Prosthetic legs may be designed for rock climbing, running, or jumping. The technology is designed to attain goals, such as greater

gait Gait is the pattern of movement of the limbs of animals, including humans, during locomotion over a solid substrate. Most animals use a variety of gaits, selecting gait based on speed, terrain, the need to maneuver, and energetic efficiency. Di ...

efficiency when running. The technology is constantly improving to meet the demands of athletes who set ever-higher sports challenges for themselves. In 2008, the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) began a worldwide debate when they established Rule 144.2(e), prohibiting the use of technical devices that offer a competitive advantage. South African athlete

Oscar Pistorius Oscar Leonard Carl Pistorius (; ; born 22 November 1986) is a South African convicted murderer and former professional sprinter. Both of his feet were amputated when he was 11 months old owing to a congenital defect; he was born missing the o ...

, using energy-storing prosthetic legs, fought for the right to run against able-bodied athletes in the 2008 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and won the right to compete, although he did not meet the qualifying time required for the traditional able-bodied competitions. File:Paralympics - AIS athletics track visit 095.JPG, A Paralympic track athlete walks with a prosthetic leg designed for racing. File:Prosthetic leg cycling.jpg, A prosthetic leg designed for bicycle racing. Adaptations can attach the prosthetic foot to the pedal during riding. File:US Navy 101112-N-6320H-071 Peter Harsch, head of the Prosthetics Division at Naval Medical Center San Diego, configures a custom-built Cheetah high.jpg, The Prosthetics Division at Naval Medical Center San Diego, configures a custom-built Cheetah high-performance carbon fiber foot designed for sprinting. File:US Navy 071012-N-8327R-048 Spc. Saul Martinez, who sustained injury during combat, attaches his prosthetic leg after climbing the new 30-foot wall in the Comprehensive Combat and Complex Casualty Care (C5) facility.jpg, Climbing a rock wall is made more accessible with specially designed prosthetic legs.

Functional classification

Functional classification systems are used to evaluate and categorize athletes in elite sports. The classification determines the type and extent of assistive technology use by the athlete.

Organizations

Organizations and associations at the national and international level support the development of adaptive sport and recreation, often through the use of assistive technology for players. These organizations are "growing in number and scope". *

International Paralympic Committee The International Paralympic Committee (IPC; german: Internationales Paralympisches Komitee) is an international non-profit organisation and the global governing body for the Paralympic Movement. The IPC organizes the Paralympic Games and fun ...

- the global body responsible for many sports up to international elite level competition. * Disabled Sports USA - The national organization that provides over 40 different adaptive sports to over 60,000 people with disabilities in the US through a network of over 100 community-based chapters. *

Adapted Physical Activity Council In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the po ...

(APAC), a council of the

American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

Obstacles

Assistive technology has made sports accessible to many athletes who would have otherwise not been able to play. However, it has its downfalls. This technology is expensive, so many people will never have access to it. It can be subject to abuse, as some people use the technology when they don't actually need it. There have been rulings that athletes who use assistive technology have an advantage over "able-bodied" athletes.

References

{{Reflist, 30em Parasports Assistive technology Sports equipment