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 Parasports are sports played by people with a disability, including physical and intellectual disabilities. Some parasports are forms of adapted physical activities from existing able-bodied sports, while others have been specifically created for ...

, 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 **

Handcycle A handcycle is a type of human-powered land vehicle powered by the arms rather than the legs, as on a bicycle. Most handcycles are tricycle in form, with two coasting rear wheels and one steerable powered front wheel. Despite usually having ...

s, or recumbent bicycles, 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 cart A golf cart (alternatively known as a golf buggy or golf car) is a small motorized vehicle designed originally to carry two golfers and their golf clubs around a golf course with less effort than walking. Over time, variants were introduced ...

s 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 Curling is a sport in which players slide stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules, and shuffleboard. Two teams, each with four players, take turns slidi ...

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.

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 Wheelchair basketball is basketball played by people with varying physical disabilities that disqualify them from playing a non-disabled sport. These include spina bifida, birth defects, cerebral palsy, paralysis due to accident, amputations (of ...

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

handcycling A handcycle is a type of human-powered land vehicle powered by the arms rather than the legs, as on a bicycle. Most handcycles are tricycle in form, with two coasting rear wheels and one steerable powered front wheel. Despite usually having th ...

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 (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 Wheelchair rugby (originally murderball, and known as quad rugby in the United States) is a team sport for athletes with a disability. It is practised in over twenty-five countries around the world and is a summer Paralympic sport. The US na ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

. 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 A handcycle is a type of human-powered land vehicle powered by the arms rather than the legs, as on a bicycle. Most handcycles are tricycle in form, with two coasting rear wheels and one steerable powered front wheel. Despite usually having ...

with a streamlined frame and thin road racing wheels. File:Wheelchair rugby game 2.jpg,

Wheelchair rugby Wheelchair rugby (originally murderball, and known as quad rugby in the United States) is a team sport for athletes with a disability. It is practised in over twenty-five countries around the world and is a summer Paralympic sport. The US na ...

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 Wheelchair tennis is one of the forms of tennis adapted for wheelchair users. The size of the court, net height and rackets are the same, but there are two major differences from pedestrian tennis: athletes use specially designed wheelchairs, ...

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, also called "power soccer", uses an attachment over the footrest of a power wheelchair 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 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, 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 global body responsible for many sports up to international elite level competition. *

Disabled Sports USA Move United is an American non-profit organization devoted to the promotion of parasports among youths and adults with physical disabilities. The organization operates community parasports programs via over 150 local chapters across the country. M ...

- 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 (APAC), a council of the American Association for Physical Activity and Recreation

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