Basketball Sport and Accommodation Plan - Narrative Essay

Basketball is a non-contact sport that is played by two teams with five players each on a rectangular court. The main agenda of the game is to shoot the ball through the hoop approximately 46cm radius with a height of 3.05m mounted on a board on either end of the court. A team scores a field goal through shooting the ball into the basket that is guarded by the opposition. There are three-point line with accumulative three points if scored behind the demarcated three-point line. Any form of infringement within the basket area is worth a two free through with a point a piece. It is played in four quarters with each quarter needing 15min and the team with the highest points win the game at the end of the stipulated time (Adolph, 2004).

My choice of basketball sport and accommodation plan got underway when my boyfriend's son was chosen to aid the individual Olympic basketball game that was meant to help the students with disabilities play the sport. During the time that I accompanied him to the court, I realized students without disabilities passing the ball to their disabled counterparts to give them an opportunity to shoot the ball in the loop. I would later learn that these students were suffering from cognitive impairment. These students and any other person who has this disability are less likely to coordinate the physiological body functionalities that can help them excel in the sport.

Another notable impairment during my visit to the basketball court was hearing impairment. According to CDC (2016), approximately two to three of every 1000 children are born with some level of hearing challenge. Additionally, adults between 20 and 69 years accounts for over 16% of a slight hearing problem with more than 37.5 million American experiencing hearing troubles.

Rehabilitation Act of 1973 and Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 aims to protect rights individuals with disabilities from any form of discrimination, as such programs must have been developed to accommodate all the disabled Americans in the activities of their choice. Opportunity to participate in sports of choice ensures equality among the American people.

To accommodate this cohort, those administering the game must have a full understanding of how to deal with individuals of this sort of disabilities as such they must be able to use the hand sign language that is known and acceptable to this group. This way they are not only able to communicate effectively but also understand the game. Most people with hearing challenges have a profound sense of sight that enable them to detect things within their vicinity. I opine that light buds strategically positioned in the field will help them see and identify what needs to be done. Additionally, these lights should be made in such a way that they can communicate major events are happening in the field. For instance, a green light may be used to indicate breaks within the quarters with red signs denoting red fouls this will ease conflicts. Consequently, signage at strategic locations within the court is one sure way of directing their movements. Of the three mentioned recommendations, the use of hand sign is the most appropriate to apply given that it is most commonly used by persons with hearing disabilities.

My visit to the basketball court awoke my understanding of the various needs of people who are suffering from the different forms of disabilities. Today, I feel the urge to get involved in any activity or program that can help them get comfortable. Considering that all the accommodation as mentioned above techniques are useful in aiding their communication and coordination, it is hard to identify a specific accommodation tool for the group

References

Adolph, H., G. (2004). The golden age of amateur basketball: the AAU Tournament, 19211968. University of Nebraska Press.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2016) Identifying infants with hearing loss - United States, 2000-2016. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 59(8): 220-223.