Thursday, March 24, 2011

Limitations will end when the games begin at the 10th annual Accessible Recreation Day (ARD) at the University of North Carolina Wilmington from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, April 1. More than 150 persons from across North Carolina with diverse disabilities will gather at the Student Recreation Center to participate in more than 20 exciting sports and activities. The event is free and open to the public.

Originally developed by a UNC Wilmington recreation therapy course as a class project, ARD has become an annual event that grows in numbers each year. Participants, including disabled veterans and local high school students, will enjoy wheelchair basketball, disc golf, seated yoga, aikido and the popular climbing wall. New this year is power hockey, seated volleyball and Minute-to-Win-it games.

ARD will conclude with an exhibition wheelchair basketball game with the Port City Spokesmen, two-time national champions. Highly experienced instructors and more than 65 volunteers, including UNCW recreational therapy students and community members, will guide this year's activities.

"The best part of the day for me is the look in people's eyes when they connect with a new activity and are able to add that to their life" said Dan Johnson, UNCW Department of Health and Applied Human Sciences associate professor and co-coordinator of ARD.

Event registration will begin at 9 a.m. and will run until 1 p.m. Groups of five or more are advised to pre-register. Food, refreshments and event t-shirts will be provided to participants free of charge.

ARD is hosted annually by the Coastal Carolina Partnership for Accessible Recreation (CCPAR), a collaboration of UNCW's Campus Recreation, Disability Services, and recreation therapy program, New Hanover Regional Medical Center Rehabilitation Hospital, N.C. Department of Vocational Rehabilitation Independent Living Services, the N.C. Assistive Technology Program, Wilmington Disabled Athletic Association, and the Wilmington Family YMCA. CCPAR strives to ensure that people with different types of disabilities have the opportunity to participate in sports, exercise and leisure activities, with the belief that safe recreation is essential to the physical and emotional health of people with disabilities.

For more information about Accessible Recreation Day visit: https://sites.google.com/site/accessiblerecreationday/home

Media are invited to interview participants and capture numerous visual opportunities by request.

Media Contact:
Emily Jones, Marketing and Communications, 910.962.3171 or jonesel@uncw.edu

ARD Full Schedule (subject to change):
9 a.m. - 1 p.m. Ongoing registration
9:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. Therapy Dogs
9:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. Wheelchair Tennis
9:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. Bocce Ball, Table Tennis, Disc Golf9:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. Golf
9:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m. Assistive Technology
9:45 a.m. - 12:45 p.m. Gardening with the Ability Garden
10 - 10:30 a.m. Chair Aerobics
10 - 10:45 a.m. Seated volleyball
10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Chair massage
10 a.m. - noon Water color painting
10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Climbing wall
10:30 - 11 a.m. Seated yoga
11 - 11:30 a.m. Tai chi
11 a.m. - noon Power hockey
11 a.m. - 2 p.m. Handcycling, Beach games
Noon - 1 p.m. Wheelchair Basketball
1 - 1:30 p.m. Drumming
1:30 - 2 p.m. Aikido
2 - 2:45 p.m. Minute-to-Win-it
2:45 - 3:30 p.m. Wheelchair Basketball Exhibition Game with Port City Spokesmen