Players of Wheelchair Rugby are required to be quadriplegic, which means that they must have limited mobility of their arms and legs. The goal of this full contact sport is for the players to carry the ball across the goal lines which are located at either side of the court. Once a player gets possession of the ball, they must pass it or bounce it within 10 seconds. This quick moving game can get pretty rough as the players crash into one another at full speed, so they use special wheelchairs that are designed to protect the players.

Ryley Batt was born without legs and did not start using a wheelchair until he was 12. Instead he used a wheelchair to get around town, until he saw a demonstration of wheelchair rugby. He quickly fell in love and began playing. Today, 6 years later, he is ranked as the number one player in the world.

During the 2008 Paralympics he put on an excellent show and nearly brought the Australian team home with the Gold, but they lost to the US in the last few seconds of the final game. Throughout all of the games, he lead the charge and was virtually unstoppable.

Batt has said that he loves the full contact aspects of wheelchair rugby. It will likely be a great grudge match at the next Paralympics, between the Australians and the Americans.

For many a dog is their best friend and part of the family, so when a tragedy happens that leaves the dog paralyzed it can be devastating not just for the dog, but also for the owners. The owner is faced with the extremely hard decision of caring for the animal, which will be no easy task, or having it put down.

For many years dog wheelchairs have been available, but their high costs, sometimes over $1,000, is too much for some people. Gina Bertocci, a University of Louisville bioengineer, has spear headed a movement to develop a wheelchair that can easily be built in an afternoon for less than $200. Bertocci intends to put the plans online where anyone can download them for free. She is not interested in making money, but instead wants to help better the lives of dogs that might not be able to make it otherwise.

Most of the parts that are required to build the chair can be purchased from a regular hardware store, but the harness the dog wears needs to be purchased from a dog equipment supplier. It is constructed out of PVC pipe and can be adjusted to accommodate different sized dogs.

This new design, which modeled and analyzed using a computer, is built to be very strong and extremely light weight. Fully assembled it only weighs around 12 pounds.

Bertocci, who holds a Ph.D, bachelors, and masters degree has stated that, ” “My work in rehabilitation builds on my expertise in biomechanics, and I don’t feel that should be limited to humans.”

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Voice recognition software is a type of computer program that responds to a person’s voice. Earlier versions have been hard to train and not very accurate, but in the past few years, the technology behind voice recognition software has vastly improved. Lead by Nicholas Roy and Seth Teller, two professors at MIT, a team of scientists have been working to apply voice recognition to electric wheelchairs.

When complete the user of the chair will only have to say “take me to the kitchen,” and the chair will automatically drive to the kitchen. It will be able to learn how to navigate around buildings and will only require a few words to send it on its way.

This type of system has been developed before, but previous prototypes had required detailed maps and diagrams of the building. This new system will actually learn how to work with its surroundings. The chair needs to be first driven around the building, with important areas noted by saying: “This is my bedroom,” or “this is the kitchen.” Once it has been shown these areas, the chair can automatically drive there with only voice controls.

Currently this system uses a series of wireless access points that are placed around the facility or building. The researches have tested this system extensively across the MIT campus and have just begun testing in an actual nursing home. Almost 100 people who can not use a regular electric wheelchair will be using the system.

The system will be very beneficial to both wheelchair users and their caretakers. It is in part being funded by Microsoft and Nokia.

The United States Team placed third in the standings, below China and Great Britain. These courageous athletes brought home 99 medals with them, among them 36 Gold Medals. Jeremy Campbell is one United States Athlete who gave it his all and left the games with 2 Gold Medals.

Campbell celebrated his 21st birthday last month and is from Perryton, Texas. He participated in the field and track events and came in first in the Discus Throw and the Men’s Pentathlon. Campbell entered into the U.S. Paralympics Field and Track Program last year after leaving Perryton and moving to California.

Another Athlete from Texas is Lindsey Carmichael. Lindsay is currently attending the University of Texas and majoring in English. She is currently writing a novel and has been participating in archery events since 1998. She began participating in mobility challenged divisions in 2003, and in 2006 Carmichael represented the United States team at the World University Archery Championship. She brought home the Bronze in the Women’s Standing Archery Competition.

There were many other great athletes from all over the world, in total almost 70 different countries participated. These athletes showed remarkable strength and all deserve our respect.

The Wheelchair Rugby games have been very exciting and the United States is in good position to win the event. Wheelchair Rugby is probably the most aggressive sport played at the games and is similar to football or hockey in that players are allowed to make contact with the other teams.

China was defeated by the United States today. The Chinese Team started out strong, but was unable to keep up with the aggressive United States team and they were eventually defeated 65 to 30.

Canada, who has also been quite successful this year, defeated Japan by 8 points. Australia defeated Germany by 47 to 36, but the closest game belonged to Great Britain and New Zealand. In the closing seconds of the game the captain of the New Zealand team, Daniel Buckingham, tied the game. With less than 4 seconds to go, the Great Britain team rallied and scored the game winning point.

The subsequent matches should be very exciting and we will bring you the results next week.

Wheelchair rugby was developed in Canada in the later part of the 1970’s. Today it is an event at the Paralympics and more than 20 different countries play it. It was originally called murderball and is a combination of wheelchair basketball and ice hockey. Five Canadians, Jerry Termin, Duncan Campbell, Randy Dueck, Paul LeJeune, and Chris Sargent, are usually attributed with coming up with the game.

The original aim of wheelchair rugby was to allow a full range of participants who had various degrees of mobility. Many athletes at the time were unable to participate in wheelchair basketball, because of the high physical demand, but wheelchair rugby allows for a much more diverse player base. By the beginning of the 1980’s, wheelchair rugby had spread to the United States. By 1996 it was a Paralympic sport.

The game is played by two teams of at most 12 players each. Four players from each team are allowed on the court at any given time. The wheelchair rugby court is the same size as a traditional basketball court, 28 meters by 15 meters. A player who has possession of the ball is required to pass or bounce the ball within ten seconds.

Wheelchair rugby can be very aggressive and players are allowed to make physical contact. It is, however, not permitted to make contact that is dangerous, such as hitting a player from behind. Fouls, which includes improper physical contact, hitting, reaching, and holding opponents, results in either loss of possession or one minute penalties.

The game has four quarters that last eight minuets each. The ball must be carried into the goal area and the clock is topped after a goal or if a violation occurs. Special manual wheelchairs are used, many of which are custom built. The chairs must have a front bumper, which serves to improve hits, but also protect the player. Anti-tip wheels and wheel guards are also used on the chair.

So far the group has raised almost £4,000($7,250) for BDFA and in addition to being for a good cause, they have also confirmed that this will set a World record. A new category is being opened in the Guinness Book of World Records specifically for this attempt.

The BDFA operates three aircraft and with the help of members and organizations, they are able to let many people who are disabled or terminally ill experience the wonder of flying. Last year around 100 non BDFA members were able to get a chance to experience flying and they also helped people to get their private flying license.

The team of wheelchair users carried out a test run last month and were able to drag it about 25 meters. This was with 20 people, so they are confident that with 10 extra people they will be able to drag it all the way.

Skiing and wake boarding are a very popular activity that many people who are mobility challenged enjoy. Recently the Adaptive Adventure Sports Coalition (TAASC) held their 11th annual water sports weekend. TAASC is an organization that was established in 1997 and is based out of Columbus, Ohio. Their goal is to improve the quality of life for those who are disabled and offer many sports and recreational activities throughout the year. Their programs include water skiing, ice skating, sailing, cycling, kayaking, and snow skiing.

A few weeks ago TAASC teamed up with the Wounded Warriors, which is a group that is determined to help disabled veterans and raise awareness about the needs of those who are mobility challenged, to share the wonderfully therapeutic water sports with many veterans. Over 40 disabled people participated in this event with more than 50 volunteers helping to make the weekend a success.

An Army Black Hawk helicopter brought veterans from Washington DC and Ohio to the event and set the stage for a very powerful and beneficial weekend. Many of the people who attended had never participated in water sports before, but they quickly picked it up and had a great time learning.

Sports are a powerful tool that not only help people physically, but also have a very real psychological benefit.

For those interested in taking part in some of the many programs offered by TAACS, visit their site to find out more.

Michael Utley, born in Seattle in the 1960’s, spent much of his early years playing sports. During high school he was the captain of the football and basketball teams and attended Washington State University on a football scholarship. During his time on the Washington State Cougars, they had their most successful season in 60 years.

He was drafted to the Detroit Lions picked in the third round of the 1989 NFL Draft. He started the first five games of the season, but during the fifth game, as the Lions battled the Minnesota Vikings, Utley was injured. He spent the remainder of the season on the bench. Just before the start of the second season he again injured himself, but this time was able to play in a few more games before again injuring himself in the sixth game.

In his third season Utley was off to a great start and started each game until an injury he received battling the LA Rams left him paralyzed. This game was in 1991 and as carried off the field he gave the crowd a thumbs up sign. This sign would become the symbol of the Mike Utley Foundation, which was set up to help find a cure for paralysis.

Always a fighter, Utley has not let his paralysis slow him down and he has sought to better himself and help others who are in similar situations. Recently the Mike Utley Foundation donated more than $100,000 to build a new type of park at Craig Hospital, which includes curves, speed bumps, cobblestone roads, doorways, and other obstacles that can make getting around in a wheelchair very difficult.

Craigs Hospital is a special hospital in Denver that treats spinal cord and traumatic brain injuries. Utley is a form patient at Craig and wanted to do something to help the many other people who use wheelchairs.

As his foundation continues to help the community and search for a cure for paralysis, Utley is determined to never give up and enjoy his life to the fullest.

If you are interested in learning more about the Mike Utley Foundation check out their site.

Obtaining the proper sized chair is also very important. To ensure that you purchase a chair of the proper size, it is a great idea to take the measurements of your existing recliner or chair. Measure the width and depth of the seat and compare these measurements with those of the published lift chair measurements.

The lift chair will also be rated for people of a certain height and for safety reasons you must fit this category. When considering the weight capacity, honestly assess your weight or the weight of the intended occupant, while taking into account any expected weight growth. It is a good idea to give yourself a little extra room, so it is suggested that you add an additional 20% to your weight.

Finding the right lift chair is easy if you know what to look for and will help to reduce the risk of injury from falling.