“Let’s Parti with BasketBall” @ Rainbow Centre
Completed by:
Grace Tan, Rachel Chua, Tay Zi Man, Divya Balakrishnan, Hong Kai’en
What Is This Opportunity About?
Synopsis
Have you ever wondered, how do different children with different abilities participate in one activity? How will that look
like in a basketball game?
This OT Day in Rainbow Centre, let’s Parti with BB (Basketball)! We will be having different games of basketball, with students who can run and throw the ball into the hoop, while others can wheel themselves in order to score. And some, with the help of Assistive Technology (AT), get to ‘throw’ balls with just a click of the switch!
Through this event, we aim to empower all participants (including teachers, caregivers, and students) to reflect about
participation, and to highlight how participation in a valued occupation may look different for each individual, but no less
meaningful.
Come join us and experience how we PARTI in a game of Basketball!
Analysis of Opportunity
Participatory values that the opportunity promotes
- Access & Opportunity
- Meaningful engagement / Being a part of
Facilitators To Participation
- Micro:
- Having teachers who are trained in ATs and are sensitive to their students’ needs
- Having a main caregiver to assist with play activities
- Assistive technology/IT access, available library of resources and devices (e.g. powered wheelchairs, switches etc) in school
- Mesa:
- Support from school leaders to provide opportunities for students with disabilities and accommodate activities and facilities to support participation
- Having accessible spaces and clear physical structure for students on wheelchairs and students with autism to participate in the basketball game
- Having advocacy groups who believe in inclusion and provide relevant resources and monetary support (e.g. Cummin, Make-A-Wish foundation, SuperheroMe)
- Having access to an Assistive Technology (AT) library through organizations such as Techable, Society for Physically Disabled (SPD)
- Macro
- Inclusive sports may be a developing landscape but not a completely novel concept in Singapore. Since 2016, SportCares, under the umbrella of ActiveSG and Sport Singapore, executes the recommendations of the Disability Sports Master Plan (DSMP) under the guidance of the Ministry of Culture, Community, and Youth MCCY.
Barriers to Participation
- Micro:
- Caregivers and teachers may find difficult to include students with physical disability in the basketball game
- Students may have a lack of intrinsic motivation to participate in basketball activity
- Mesa:
- Current COVID-19 situation has resulted in social distancing and safety measures put in place, thus students from the Autism classes may have to limit interactions with their peers from the Physical Disabilities Classes group
- Lack of available AT to cater to the students with more severe physical disabilities
- Macro:
- There may be a lack of understanding and stigmatising of people with disabilities within and outside the community in Rainbow Centre, thus limiting the lack of opportunities to use and incorporate ATs to participate in community living.
Future Plans to Promote Participation
- Conceptualising and prototyping can be done online or through video platforms
- Collaboration with SAOT for greater exposure of (these)abilities to allied health practitioners in Singapore to encourage participation for clients
- Collaboration with befriending services (e.g. Lions Befrienders) to assist PwDs who need accompaniment
- Provide easy “hacking” or “personalization” kits and video “how-tos” that can appeal to different consumer groups for common ATs, so as to create multiple avenues of engagement (e.g. “hack” your walking stick, “hack” your geriatric chair, “hack” your gaming console) that relates to common occupations pursued by PwDs across the lifespan
