Introduction
In 1946, after WW2 paralyzed veterans in VA hospitals in California and Massachusetts started playing wheelchair basketball, competing against doctors. In 1947 the first match between two wheelchair basketball teams took place and by 1948, Paralyzed Veterans of America was organized and the National Wheelchair Basketball Association was established. This marked the beginning of the evolution of sports for the disabled. Fast forward to today, the NWBA has over 200 teams. In addition there are hundreds of teams around the world in South America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Today, the US competes against these international teams in the Paralympic Games and the World Championships.
Task
Redefining wheelchair disability from labels as ‘confined to a wheelchair” or “wheelchair bound” to characteristic of the person as a “wheelchair user”. This goes way further than just being politically correct to influencing our perceptions of others and their perceptions of us. Braithwaite, Braithwaite stated “The way people with disabilities are labeled will affect how they are seen by others and how they perceive themselves. The term “disabled” is now associated with “Athlete”.
Derrick Bisnett - Wheelchair Basketball Player (youtube video)
Process
The UW-Whitewater Wheelchair Athletics program was established in 1973 and since then the men’s wheelchair basketball team has won the Intercollegiate National Championship in 12 years (1982, 1996, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014, and 2015 ) and the women’s team has won 3 national championships in 2012,2013,2014.
Men's Wheelchair Basketball Roster 2015/16
Click each team member's name to read their biographies
Women's Wheelchair Basketball Roster 2015/16
Click each team member's name to read their biographies
Evaluation
For the wheelchair athlete, it’s no longer what you cannot do, but what you can do.
Warhawk Matt Scott in Nike 'No Excuses' Commercial (youtube video)