Inclusive Skating:
Working Together
Presented by:
Sally Rehorick, Stacey Rouse Charlton and Janice Hunter
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What will we cover today?
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Who are “athletes with a disability”?
What is happening in Canada?
What is happening in other countries?
How does a club get started?
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Let’s get to know each other
• In pairs, introduce yourselves: where from,
role in skating, name
• Any direct/indirect experiences with inclusive
skating
• What is the “proper” way to refer to skaters in
“inclusive skating”?
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What is the “proper” term to use?
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Different words: is any one “correct”?
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Impaired skaters
Disabled skaters
Handicapped skaters
Skaters who are intellectually impaired/challenged
Athletes with a disability
Athletes with an impairment
Mentally challenged
Physically challenged
Physically impaired
Skaters in a therapeutic program
Skaters with a handicap
Skaters with a mental handicap
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What is the “proper” term to use?
Always start with the person and not
the impairment
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What is “disability”
• Definition of a disability:
- activity limitations and/or participation restrictions in
an individual with a health condition, disorder, or
disease
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Who are athletes with a
disability?
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Let’s meet Abby
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New Brunswick
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Alberta
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Ontario
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British Columbia
• This brother and sister were able to enjoy
“bring a friend day” at North Surrey Skating
Club
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BC Coach Reflections
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Challenges
Volunteers
Coaching
Building a program
The new Skate Canada competition
assessment criteria
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Special Olympics Canada
• Special Olympics=worldwide organization
• Athletes with intellectual disabilities
• Events run on a 4 year cycle
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Special Olympics Canada Winter
Games Corner Brook, March 2016
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What is happening in other
countries?
• Inclusive Skating
• Iceland – Icelandic Sports Association for the Disabled. Involved in
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skating since 2005; use a STAR system with a consensus panel of officials
at events (similar to Canada)
USA - Therapeutic Skating USA. Separate badge system for Special O and
Therapeutic skaters. Program is used in schools with assistance from
classroom teachers and aides in conjunction with a skating club.
Special Olympics International - The first 1977 Special Olympics World
Winter Games were held in February 1977 in Steamboat Springs,
Colorado, U.S.
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Inclusive Skating Scotland
A bit of history
Inclusive Skating
Margarita Sweeney-Baird, originator
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Inclusive Skating
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What is “classification”?
• Main principle: Fair and equal competition
• “To ensure that an athlete’s impairment is relevant to
sport performance, and to ensure that the athlete
competes equitably with other athletes.”
• Classification is not necessary for club sessions, only
for competition
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How are athletes classified?
• Paralympics
– Sport-specific and impairment type-specific (10 types)
– Limited scope for equitable competition among athletes with
different types or degrees of impairment
– Each international federation determines which impairment
types will be acceptable for their sports
– Currently the International Skating Union does not have any
sports included in the Paralympics
• Special Olympics
• Inclusive Skating
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How are athletes classified?
• Special Olympics – athletes with intellectual disabilities
– Intellectual Disability = certain limitations in cognitive
functioning and other skills, including communication and
self-care. These limitations can cause a child to develop
and learn more slowly or differently. Intellectual disability
is the most common developmental disability
– In Canada no athlete is turned away from SO events
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Classification for Inclusive Skating
Whole Person Impairment (WPI)
– classification is body-based and function-based
– accommodates all levels of impairment
– compares multiple kinds of impairments to get a whole
body impairment
e.g. a skater with a complex congenital syndrome would have
multiple interacting effects.
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Classification for Inclusive Skating
Whole Body Impairment scoring for competitions
“Skating impairment percentages are calculated for a skater’s
individual impairments. These percentages are combined for an
overall skating impairment percentage (compensation) for each
athlete. This is added to the skater’s performance score, giving
each skater a final impairment compensation score.”
Source: Inclusive Skating VISTA conference poster
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How does it work in Canada?
• with the calculation of the impairment compensation score,
the skaters can compete in the same competition as nonimpaired skaters.
• Alberta: an adapted example from STAR
– Skater was classified by Marni Wesner using WPI
– Based on analysis of technical requirements for the category, we
determined that this skater would be scored one assessment level
higher (e.g. scored at Bronze, she would receive Silver with her WPI
compensation)
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Getting started with WPI classification
• Alberta: an adapted example from STAR
– Skater was classified by Dr. Marni Wesner using WPI
Contact Marni Wesner: [email protected]
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Getting started with your club!
Stacy Rouse Charlton
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When you have a DREAM.....All
you have to do is TRY
• The DREAM – Play sledge hockey
• The ASK – Can I join CanSkate???
• The ANSWER – Let's give this a TRY
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It all started with NOAH…..
Meet Noah, the boy who started it all with a simple request
– “Can I join CanSkate?”
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…..and he had three friends…..
Soon through word of mouth and a common therapist
FOUR boys joined our program!
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So many questions Where do we start?
• Is this possible?
• Coaching?
• Skate Canada Insurance?
– What do we teach, how do we teach, how to find resources?
• Equipment?
– What do we need? Where do we get it?
• Communication – Club Board, skaters, parents, Skate
Canada
• Program Standards?
• Session modifications?
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Coaching Athletes with a
Disability
• Many things to consider
– Hearing, visual, behavioural, speech,
physical limitations etc.
– How to get into the sledge
– How to get sled onto ice
– Connect with physical and occupational therapist
– Teaching Boundaries
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Benefits of Sledge CanSkate
• Improves strength
• Increase in fitness level, ambulation and mobility
• Improves circulation, muscle function, digestion,
eye/hand coordination, balance and trunk (core)
control
• Social activity
• Community involvement
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Our session
• Sledge runs parallel to "generic" CanSkate
session
• Created for Children with a Disability to
Embrace the Joy of Skating through the
CanSkate program
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Video of session
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Sledge and generic together as one
Participants do each station and activity including:
Warm-up, teaching station, review station, FunZone, Cool Down (Ball
passing)
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Modified Circuits – ABC's of CanSkate
Same circuit with Sledge specific skills
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Modified content
CanSkate – Badge 1
Agility – 2-ft turn, 2-ft jump,
fwd skating perimeter of ice
Balance – fall down & get up,
fwd push/glide sequence, fwd
2-ft glide, fwd 2-ft sit glide
Control – Snow slide steps,
bwd 2-ft skating/walking, bwd
2-ft glide
Sledge CanSkate – Badge 1
Agility – all in 20 seconds drill (from
end to end,) High/low handle drill
(right hand high/left hand low)
Balance – Turn both ways (Lean L/R),
Push/Glide sequence (3 consecutive)
Control – Stopping with blade and
shift weight (L or R), 180 degree
stationary spin(X5,) Slalom – wide(2
sled lengths), Tuck Down drill
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On-Ice Challenges
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Off-Ice Challenges
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What else did we teach(learn)?
• We can help make dreams come true by
asking "Why not try"
• Being different is an Opportunity to be GREAT
• Acceptance, Strength, Confidence, Brave,
Inspirational, Proud, Patience
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