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Technological developments for people with a disability - removing barriers to participation and enhancing sports performance
Abstract   Peer reviewed

Technological developments for people with a disability - removing barriers to participation and enhancing sports performance

Brendan J Burkett
Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, Vol.6(4), p.69
Australian Conference of Science and Medicine in Sport, 2003 (2003)
2003
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S1440-2440(03)80163-9
url
https://doi.org/10.1016/S1440-2440(03)80163-9View
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Abstract

Human Movement and Sports Science sporting disability Paralympic Games
The Sydney 2000 Olympic and Paralympic Games elevated Australia's status as an internationally competitive sporting nation. For people with a disability to participate in physical exercise they often depend on some form of equipment. The purpose of this research was to develop equipment that functionally matched the requirement of the person and that specific activity. Essentially the research focused on the biomechanics of this interaction and how technology could be applied to remove the barriers to participation and enhance sports performance. The target population was the elite athlete with a disability, Paralympians. At the elite level athletes and coaches depend on the biomechanist to develop equipment and training techniques that can give them the edge on the sporting arena. Past research has identified significant technical developments in wheelchair design, and that there was a need to address the technical limitations of the amputee's prosthesis. In the endeavour to go higher, faster and longer amputees have found the standard prosthetic devices can inhibit their sporting performance. Radical equipment designs such as the J-Leg, seated throwing chairs, and running arms have revolutionised the way of thinking in sports medicine. From relatively simple adjustments such as modifying the alignment of prosthetic knee or foot have achieved up to 12% improvement in running performance. Other examples include analysis of the swimmers start using specific biomechanical analysis. This research, like others in the field, has removed some of the barriers that people with a disability face to participating in sport and exercise.

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