May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month and here at NARIC we have been on the look-out for all things related to athletes, sports, and exercise related to people with disabilities. Recently, Fox News online featured a story in their “Body & Mind” section on an organization putting a new twist on athletics for individuals with disabilities. According the article, nearly one in six Americans are living with some form of disability (statistics from the Americans with Disabilities Act National Network). The article highlights the Break the Barriers non-profit organization that allows people with all abilities to come together through athletics and performing arts. Inspired by her younger sister Kathy, Deby Hergenrader founded Break the Barriers 20 years ago in order to create a special place where differences in natural ability were irrelevant and people focused on fun and friendship. The program takes a passion for sports and channels it into a program that helps develop self-confidence of individuals with special needs. The organization now has more than 3,000 students who practice a variety of sports including swimming, martial arts, dance, and gymnastics. The team travels all over the world to help raise awareness in other countries and to show that people are not limited by their disabilities.
Read more at: http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/04/21/organization-puts-new-twist-athletics-disabled
Collection Spotlight from the National Rehabilitation Information Center 