“We are proud to announce our support today – International Day for Persons with a Physical Disability – for this program. Our goal is that people with a disability will be provided increased and enhanced opportunities to participate in sport,” said ASRPWF chair Orest Korbutt.

The ASRPWF will provide The Steadward Centre with $10,000 through its Sport Participation Initiative Grant to pilot the program in the province. A portion of the funding is provided to the ASRPWF through Sport Canada.

The Changing Minds, Changing Lives program is aimed at providing frontline healthcare service providers across Alberta with information about the Paralympic Movement, sporting opportunities for people with a physical disability, and the social and physical benefits of sports. The ultimate goal is to increase the participation rate of Albertans with a physical disability in sport.

“Less than 3% of Canadians with physical disabilities regularly participate in organized sport, while the figure jumps to 31% for able-bodied Canadians,” said CPC President Carla Qualtrough. “Expanding the Changing Minds, Changing Lives program into Alberta should lead to more Canadians with a physical disability becoming active. Everyone should be given the opportunity to reap the benefits of physical activity and sport, which include improved health and mobility, better quality of life, broadened horizons and the cementing of new friendships.”

Through hour and a half workshops given by healthcare professionals to their peers, the goal of the program is to influence people on the frontline of healthcare to use sport as a vehicle in rehabilitation and integration. The workshop also includes a Paralympic athlete giving a personal account of how sport changed his or her life.

“Although a lot is known about the benefits of sport participation for Canadians with physical disabilities, this information is not consistently disseminated to healthcare professionals. Bringing Changing Minds, Changing Lives to Alberta should help bridge the gap,” said Donna Goodwin, Associate Professor at the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation.

Changing Minds, Changing Lives gives participants a better understanding of the benefits of sport participation for persons with a physical disability, a basic understanding of the variety of Paralympic sports and athlete classifications, increased awareness of the opportunities for sport participation for people with a physical disability, and will hopefully inspire them to motivate persons with a physical disability to actively participate in regular physical activity and sport.

The program was piloted in Ontario in 2005 and is now also offered in British Columbia. The Steadward Centre for Personal and Physical Achievement, which operates within the University of Alberta’s Faculty of Physical Education and Recreation, will oversee the initiative with the support of Dr. Trish Manns, Assistant Professor, Department of Physical Therapy.

About the Canadian Paralympic Committee
The Canadian Paralympic Committee (CPC) is a non-profit, charitable, private organization that is recognized by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). The CPC delivers programs that strengthen the Paralympic Movement in Canada, including sending Canadian teams to the Paralympic Games. The CPC empowers persons with physical disabilities, through sport, at all levels. For more information, visit www.paralympic.ca.

About the Alberta, Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation
The Alberta Sport, Recreation, Parks and Wildlife Foundation (ASRPWF) is a non-profit Crown corporation that provides a variety of programs to enhance activity, improve lifestyles, foster enjoyment of the outdoors, and protect nature in Alberta.

About The Steadward Centre for Personal and Physical Achievement
The Centre is a disability research centre, providing high-calibre, research-based physical activity and sport programs for children, youths and adults with disabilities.