TRENTON — A year after Rutgers entered the Big Ten conference, two state lawmakers announced Tuesday the state university has agreed to develop a sports program for students with physical disabilities – an effort driven by a Middlesex County parent whose son left New Jersey in order to participate in wheelchair basketball.
Enlisting the help from three to four adaptive sports experts from similarly sized universities, Rutgers will launch a study in the fall aimed at “developing a robust adaptive sports and fitness program” for students with disabilities, Sens. Linda Greenstein (D-Middlesex) and Raymond Lesniak (D-Union) said.
In talking with university officials, Greenstein said she and Lesniak learned Rutgers had never created an adaptive program because students never specifically asked for one. That’s not an effective way to build a program, she said.
“It’s so important to be proactive and offer these activities as so many other schools do around the country, so that students with disabilities who attend Rutgers are not made to feel like second-class citizens and in fact can enjoy the full college experience like every other student,” Greenstein said.
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The advisory panel will visit the various campuses and make recommendations as to which programs they should offer, how they should be phased in and how much it will cost, according to the July 8 letter Rutgers Senior Vice President for External Affairs, Peter J. McDonough sent the senators.
“The study team will also be asked to comment on where increased adaptive sports and recreation programming should rank with regard to other needed disability services and supports,” according to the letter.
“We are taking quite seriously your recommendations with respect to adaptive sports and are making a concerted effort to understand the challenges and opportunities that adaptive sports present,” according to the letter.
Lesniak called Rutgers’ commitment to create the program “an important step toward becoming the kind of inclusive institution we know Rutgers strives to be, especially in light of the fact that other students have more than 50 club and other recreational activities from which to choose, from belly dancing to basketball and judo.”
“As Rutgers this month marks its first anniversary as a member of the Big Ten Conference, we should also be offering sport and recreational opportunities for our students with disabilities,” Lesniak said. “Nearly all the schools and state university systems in the conference offer adaptive sports and recreation programs, some of them very robust. Rutgers should not be an outlier in this very important area of meeting all our students’ needs for a well-balanced and fulfilling educational experience.”
The lawmakers credited Bob Katz of Monroe with alerting them to the issue and his for his persistent advocacy. Years ago, Katz’s son opted to attend the University of Arizona – where he played wheelchair basketball – because Rutgers did not offer any adaptive sports.
Participating in the Lightning Wheels wheelchair track and field program offered by Children’s Specialized Hospital changed his son Eric’s outlook on life, Katz said.
“My son was depressed after he became paralyzed and he felt like a drag on his friends because he couldn’t ride his bike, roller skate or work up a sweat competing. He was all by himself,” said Katz, whose son, now 32, developed paralysis from a childhood illness.
“It was when we heard about adaptive sports and went to a Lightning Wheels orientation at Children’s Specialized Hospital for their wheelchair sports team, even before we got inside we could hear the laughter through the slightly unclosed door. It was the sounds of kids having fun, boys and girls teasing each other, laughing. My son’s expression brightened and he’s been that way since.”
Terri Lakowski, an attorney in Washington D.C. specializing in gender and disability rights issues in school sports, praised Rutgers “for taking a step in right direction” upholding the Americans with Disabilities Act that was enacted 25 years ago.
“There’s no reason why any school should not make reasonable accommodations. There is no justification for discrimination,” said Lakowski, who is the CEO of Active Policy Solutions, a consulting firm that advises government and advocacy groups on how to approach sports, health, wellness, youth development, and civil rights policies.
Some schools change their rules to make it easier for students with disabilities to participate in mainstream sports programs, she said. Fewer go on to develop competitive adaptive sports programs. The result is a handful of schools, such as the University of Illinois, that draw student athletes from across the country. “Kids go where the programs are, so it’s like a self-fulfilling prophecy.”
In order for an adaptive sports program to succeed, it needs money for equipment and training, medical staff and ” he right coach at the helm to go out and recruit and build the reputation of the program. Treat it the same way as any other sport,” Lakowski said. “You can’t relegate it to the club or intramural level.”
Amy B. Mansue, president and CEO, Children’s Specialized Hospital, offered to help Rutgers develop its program.
“This is life changing news for the young athletes in New Jersey wanting to stay in state to continue their higher education and compete in adaptive sports at the collegiate level,” Mansue said. “With over 25 year’s experience coaching athletes in our Lightning Wheels Adaptive Sports program; we would welcome the opportunity to partner with Rutgers University to enable student athletes to stay in state.”
“It is our greatest hope every child has the resources, and opportunity, to reach their fullest potential. We’re grateful to Senators Greenstein and Lesniak for championing this cause and to Rutgers University for taking the next steps to research and evaluate the possibility of offering this valuable program,” Mansue added.
Susan K. Livio may be reached at slivio@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com Politics on Facebook.
