Adaptive Athletics on Campus : A Case Study of the University of Arizona Model to Support Collegiate Sport View Digital Media

Workshop Presentation
Amanda Kraus,  Peter Hughes  

The University of Arizona (UArizona) has a longstanding commitment to disability access, including a robust adaptive and wheelchair sports program and proud tradition of producing Paralympic athletes. The largest, most comprehensive program in the US, UArizona Adaptive Athletics recruits disabled student athletes domestically and internationally and supports nine competitive teams and an adaptive fitness center. We provide students with academic supports, like tutoring, and work to impact our campus community so that it is welcoming to disabled individuals and disability culture. Disabled students are underrepresented in American higher education at only 19%. Further, disabled people are underemployed and in 2020 the total employment rate was only 17%. At UArizona we believe sport is an inroad to higher education and can uniquely prepare students for the challenges of University and beyond, by providing a community of peers, and opportunities to hone skills like time management and communication and support the development of healthy disability identity. UArizona’s Adaptive Athletics program is a unique model that benefits from the support of our local community as well as inter/national organizations that promote adaptive sport. Locally, we introduce disabled youth to sport to contribute to an educational pipeline. On an international stage, we serve as a site for mentorship and education for coaches and athletes around the world. This session will share our philosophy on adaptive athletics and practical strategies to grow opportunities for adaptive and wheelchair sports on college and university campuses.