READY AND ABLE
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
The Ready and Able program, operated by The Trinidad and Tobago Alliance for Sport and Physical Education (TTASPE), is geared toward providing opportunities for persons with disabilities to become involved in sport and physical education programs.
It utilizes sport as a development tool; fostering healthy active lifestyles for persons with disabilities. More...
Project manager for Ready and Able, Jennifer Wong, works at Cheshire Home – a residence for persons with disabilities – every Friday. She engages residents in various forms of physical activity, from strength training to basketball, with the aim of encouraging residents to become active.
“Many of the residents are in wheel-chairs so I have to come up with fun and creative ways to get them moving. I enjoy seeing the residents have fun while becoming healthier,” said Jennifer when we visited the home last Friday, January 23 rd.
Several young people were also there, students of the San Fernando East Secondary school, assisting Jennifer in her physical activity program for residents of the home.
The students are part of an effort to engage the community in providing support and assistance to the residents of Cheshire. They will be working with the residents twice a week supporting the physical activity program that Jennifer has implemented at the home.
Jennifer will continue to work at Cheshire Home on Friday mornings.
TTASPE Partners with PAROTT
Presently in Trinidad & Tobago, and the majority of the Caribbean, sporting opportunities for persons with disabilities are limited. The Ready & Able program was created to provide opportunities for persons with disabilities to live healthy and active lives.
The program works with sport federations to include persons with disabilities, and with organizations for persons with disabilities to incorporate physical activity into their programs. This program seeks to empower coaches and organizations with the capacity and knowledge to deliver quality sporting activities and programs to persons with disabilities.
Through the program, persons with disabilities will have the opportunity to both learn about the benefits of staying active and living a healthy lifestyle, and to take part in structured physical activity.
READY& ABLE NEWS
Cheshire Home – Pleasantville, San Fernando
Jennie Wong, Inclusive Sport Program Officer & Ato Rockcliffe, Kicking Aids Out Program Officer, visit Cheshire Home on Friday mornings to engage residents in a seated fitness program and physical activity games. Participants in the home have both physical and intellectual impairments and are always enthusiastic to get out and get active. For the past two weeks residents have taken part in the fundaments of basketball!
Paralympic Organization of Trinidad & Tobago – Port of Spain
On Tuesday, October 14 th 2008, a memorandum of understanding was signed between TTASPE and the Paralympic Organization of Trinidad and Tobago. The memorandum will enable TTASPE and PAROTT to work collaboratively on projects concerning persons with disabilities. TTASPE, in collaboration with Shamdaver Inc, will be facilitating a number of training workshops to support PAROTT as they move their organization forward. The goals of the workshops are to fuel motivation, increase capacity and improve the organizational structure of PAROTT.