by Lori Batcheller
Accessible sports venues are bringing new meaning to the commonly used phrase "level the playing field."Besides incorporating the idea of fair competition, where no advantage is given to either team, these venues are making America's favorite pastime accessible to all, according to Disaboom, the largest online community for people with disabilities.
To date, more than 80,000 children use more than 100 accessible baseball fields across the United States, including Puerto Rico. Each custom-designed field uses cushioned, rubberized turf to help prevent injuries, wheelchair accessible dugouts, and a completely flat surface to eliminate any barriers; the bases and mounds are painted on.
"The design removes all obstructions," says Diane Alford, executive director of Miracle League-the nonprofit organization that created the first accessible field in a suburb of Atlanta, Georgia, nearly 10 years ago. The idea began in 1997 when a local youth baseball coach invited a disabled child who was cheering on his younger brother during games to join in. The following year, the Miracle League was formed to provide opportunities for all children to play baseball, regardless of their abilities.
Equality in rules
To equal the playing field, the Miracle League created new rules: every player bats once each inning; all base runners are safe; every player scores a run before the inning is over; and the last batter up gets a home run. And to make the game a community affair, local volunteers from youth groups such as Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, church groups, parents, and other children, team up with the players to serve as "buddies" to assist them on the field. Finally, to ensure the game is fun rather than competitive, each team and each player wins every game.
Leveling the playing field
Simply creating new rules to play by didn't solve the accessibility challenges. "We quickly recognized that the reason most children with a disability don't participate in sports is because of the venues rather than the rules of play," says Alford.
Playing on the same grass fields and with raised mounds and bases as the other community baseball teams presented potential safety hazards-not to mention additional challenge-to blind players and those on crutches or walkers or in wheelchairs.
After a lot of research and fund raising, including partnership with local Rotary Clubs, the Miracle League found a type of rubber that would make the playing field safe, latex-free, and provide the right surface for the ball to roll rather than stop, and not bounce up and hit someone. The new complex opened in Atlanta in April 2000, with 100 players participating on behalf of the 50,000 children with disabilities in the Atlanta area, generating national attention.
The League Grows
When Lisa Kensington learned about the Miracle League through HBO's Real Sports, she immediately undertook creating an accessible field for her community outside of Denver, Colorado. Teaming up with the Foothills Parks and Recreation, the Jason Jennings Adaptive field opened in the spring of 2006 under the name of Sports Made Possible.
"We opted to change our name from a Miracle League to Sports Made Possible to better reflect our mission," says Kensington. While Kensington has been involved with other major fund raising efforts prior to this one, she says that creating Sports Made Possible has been the most fulfilling project she's ever done.
"It's a win-win game for everyone involved," says Kensington. "The buddies get to build a relationship with a disabled child, and the children get to build relationships with other community members."
Looking to the future
The Miracle League hopes to serve more than 1.3 million children through 500 accessible fields by 2012. Currently 40 fields are under construction with 50 more in development.
To learn more about accessible sports venues visit disaboom.com. Since its launch in 2007, Disaboom is dedicated to providing the resources and information necessary for people with disabilities to live forward.
