17 Inclusion - Sports Florida Disabled Outdoors Association Recreation for EVERYONE! People of all abilities can golf, water-ski, SCUBA dive, dance, horseback ride, kayak and much more. Florida Disabled Outdoors Association (FDOA) believes that everyone can and should benefit from recreation. When we enjoy physical activity together, we learn from each other and build bonding friendships. Everyone is different, so what motivates one person may be very different from what motivates someone else. This is true of all people INCLUDING people with disabilities. The mission of the Florida Disabled Outdoors Association is to enrich lives through accessible inclusive recreation. Florida Disabled Outdoors Association (FDOA) works to overcome and prevent many of the disabilities and secondary health conditions that arise as a result of a sedentary lifestyle including: diabetes, heart disease, respiratory conditions, and obesity. FDOA has a variety of programs and resources to help people accomplish this, including: SportsAbility - One of the most popular programs is SportsAbility, which is a multi-day event providing firsthand access to resources and indoor and outdoor activities designed to encourage participation regardless of age or ability level. Participants are shown how to participate in everything from sit water-skiing to rock wall climbing, martial arts, horseback riding and much more! The program is free for participants and families and friends are included. Everyone can recreate together. Experts for each activity are brought in to ensure that people have fun, learn something new – all while being safe. There is also an Expo with representatives from state agencies, resource providers, community organizations and others to provide information on the latest products, programs and services available. The SportsAbility program has been in existence since 1990 and has been held in numerous Florida cities. Miracle Sports - Miracle Fields have been specifically built with a rubberized surface to provide a safe environment for people of all abilities to be able to play sports. Programs are adapted to ensure an inclusive environment. Rules are modified and the game is adapted to encourage everyone. There are no outs or losers; there is only fun and physical activity. FDOA also hosts a Miracle Sports program in Tallahassee. Miracle Sports Tallahassee provides the opportunity to participate in baseball, flag football, tennis and other sports. Many other similar Miracle League programs are available in Florida cities and throughout the United States. Allout Adventure Program – This program is an outdoor adventure program that includes the mobility impaired hunting program, Hands Helping Anglers, and other outdoor adventure trips. Resource Referral Network - Florida Disabled Outdoors Association has an online database of recreation program, products destinations and events in Florida. This Resource Referral Network is searchable by county or type of activity and can be found at fdoa.org/resources. If you don’t see something in the database that is of interest, reach out to local recreation providers and find a way to be included. FDOA is also available to help! According to Recreation, A Great Way to Be Active, produced by the North Carolina Office of Disability and Health, “Do things that are fun for you and you will not have to worry about motivation.” FDOA agrees completely! Active Leisure for Life! More information: www.fdoa.org / info@fdoa.org / (850) 201-2944 By Laurie LoRe-Gussak, Executive Director AmeriDisability July/August 2017
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