UMaine to Host Adaptive Paddling Program
Contact: Joe Carr at (207) 581-3571
ORONO — The University of Maine Campus Recreation Maine Bound Program and the American Canoe Association (ACA) have scheduled an Adaptive Paddling certificate course for instructors from May 22-25, 2003.
The ACA offers programs to open avenues to water-based recreation, such as canoeing, kayaking and sea kayaking, to people of all abilities. Paddlers with disabilities are integrated into all ACA programs.
The ACA is the largest recreation-based conservation organization in the United States, with over 50,000 members and affiliates. ACA programs include all watercraft one can propel with a paddle — canoes, kayaks, sea kayaks, rafts, etc.
The organization emphasizes training instructors, outfitters and recreation providers as a means of providing opportunities for people with disabilities to be involved in paddling activities.
The four-day UMaine program will include instruction in areas such as how to compensate for a paddler’s loss of function due to disability, adaptation techniques for equipment and instruction, how to focus on the paddler’s ability and facility and program accessibility. The course involves classroom and hands-on learning.
On the second day of the course, novice paddlers with disabilities will receive instruction in canoeing from expert paddling instructors in a pool session. On the final day students put their new skills to work paddling on a trip to Phillips Lake. The ACA Instructors for the course Janet Zeller of Washington, D.C. and Jamie Jackson of Florida.