Sports and Activities
Living with a spinal cord injury does not mean the end of an active lifestyle.
Everyone has limitations. And everyone has untapped abilities.
These organizations can help you to assess your abilities, and create activities to explore them.
Community Recreation Resources
Arlington County Therapeutic Recreation
The Arlington County Therapeutic Recreation Office offers social clubs, adapted classes, and leisure education for individuals with disabilities as well as reasonable modifications for their general recreation programs. Classes include adapted yoga, dance aerobics, and aquatics.
Baltimore Adaptive Recreation and Sports (BARS)
A community based, non-profit organization dedicated to providing year round recreational opportunities in the Baltimore/Washington area to both children and adults with disabilities. Some of the activities offered include snow skiing, water skiing, sailing, kayaking, handcycling, along with others. 410-771-4606
The Capital One Arena
The Capital One Arena accessible seats are available on all levels for various sporting, entertainment, and cultural events. Tickets can also be purchased at the time of the event, or you can call ahead for accessible seating at 202-661-5065.
Catalyst Adapted Climbing
Catalyst provides monthly adaptive climbing clinics for individuals with physical disabilities in Alexandria, VA.
Challenged Athletes Foundation
CAF provides grants for sports equipment and training for people with disabilities. Grants are awarded yearly after an application process.
Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating (CRAB)
CRAB promotes the joy of sailing in specially modified boats for persons with disabilities and their families. They offer short outings, racing and cruising on the Chesapeake Bay with monthly SailFrees, instruction and sail boat rentals. 410-626-0273
DC Office of Disability Rights
DC ODR provides information on disability organizations and non-profit agencies with programs and resource information for people with disabilities in the D.C. area.
Diveheart
Diveheart is a scuba diving program for individuals with disabilities. To sign up visit the website and use the link in the event calendar.
DPI Adaptive Fitness
DPI Adaptive Fitness is an adaptive fitness and personal training center that provides both one on one and group fitness classes and weight loss/nutrition counseling for people with disabilities.
Montgomery County Recreation Department
Montgomery County provides a large variety of therapeutic recreation programs, classes, events, and social clubs as well as inclusion services and resource information for people with disabilities.
Prince George’s County Disability Services
Prince George’s County provides therapeutic recreation and inclusion services including adapted aquatics, adapted sports and outdoor programs, wellness programs. They also provide reasonable accommodations and modifications for their general recreation programs.
The National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disability (NCHPAD)
This website features exercise information for specific disabilities as well as a variety of resources for adaptive sport and recreational activities.
Sport Aid
Sportaid sells adaptive sports equipment, sports wheelchairs, backpacks, wheelchair accessories, exercise equipment and more.
Accessible Pools and Community Centers
Germantown Indoor Swim Center – Montgomery County, MD
Aquatics facility with recreational swimming, water fitness classes, swim lessons, scuba, swim team and dive team classes. Entire center is handicapped accessible with ramps, elevators, ladders, and lifts.
Kennedy Shriver Aquatics Center – Montgomery County, MD
Classes and programs like diving, fitness, swimming and water safety, and competitive opportunities. Facility is fully accessible with ramps, ladders, elevators, and lifts.
Martin Luther King, Jr. Swim Center – Montgomery County, MD
Fully accessible aquatics facility with recreational and lap swimming and kayaking as well as classes like diving, fitness, lifeguard training, CPR training, swimming and water safety.
Olney Swim Center – Montgomery County, MD
Fully accessible aquatics facility with recreational swimming and diving, fitness, lifeguard training, CPR training, swimming, and water safety classes.
Wakefield Aquatics Center – Arlington, VA
Fully accessible facility with two pools, a wet classroom and a spectator gallery as well as four family changing rooms.
Yorktown Aquatics Center – Arlington, VA
Facility with an accessible instructional pool, spectator area and two fully accessible changing rooms.