The sounds of clapping, cheering and laughter filled the Natatorium inside the Student Union at Wright State University. Almost a dozen participants and volunteers attended a kayak training session to better prepare them on the open water.<\/p>\n
Wright State University has partnered with Adaptive Sports Connection<\/a> and The American Canoe Association since 2006 to offer training to Miami Valley residents, including people with disabilities.<\/p>\n \u201cI couldn\u2019t do it without them,\u201d said Mark Pierson, a participant who studied at Wright State in the late 1970s. Pierson uses a wheelchair and needs assistance from several volunteers to enter a kayak.<\/p>\n \u201cIt frees Mark up from his wheelchair,\u201d said Dene Berman, a graduate assistant with the Outdoor Resource Center<\/a> at Wright State. \u201cHe becomes as mobile on the water as anybody else.\u201d<\/p>\n Volunteers say that kayaking is not only good for participants with limited mobility but is also great exercise for people with autism. Many people with autism have challenges with balance and coordination and kayaking helps you gain those skills.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Almost a dozen participants and volunteers attended a kayak training session to better prepare them on the open water. Continue reading