The unique features are built to help students improve their joint mobility, overall range of motion and core strength.
LANCASTER, SC – The Lancaster Rotary Breakfast Club has launched the ‘Pedals Possible’ program to offer about a dozen bikes like this to Lancaster County School District.
“To take this opportunity to give this student population — students with special needs — the opportunity to focus on their ability and not their disability,” Lancaster Rotary Club President Chad told WCNC Charlotte Catledge.
The unique features are built to help students improve their joint mobility, overall range of motion and core strength.
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“This one has handles on it. They can hold it here, here or here, it just gives them a better range of motion when they’re turning,” said Anita McDow, a special education teacher. “The biggest thing is slipping off the pedals and they don’t have it with a strap.”
Through a partnership with MUSC Health University Medical Center in Charleston, researchers hope to compile data examining the benefits of bicycles.
“Our goal is to make them as independent and as strong as possible so that it allows us to do it in ways that they wouldn’t have done before,” said the physical therapist. Nikki Wad.
We’re told an adaptive bike like this can cost anywhere from a thousand to four thousand dollars. But thanks to local fundraising by individuals and businesses, the goal is to send more bikes to even more schools.
“We really want this program to be implemented in every school district. There are more than 16,000 school districts in the United States and Lancaster will be the first and we’re excited about that,” Catledge said.
Pedaling to greater possibilities. You can donate bikes to the ‘Pedals Possible’ program by emailing pedalspossible@gmail.com.
Contact Briana Harper at bharper@wcnc.com and follow him Facebook, I tweet AND Instagram.
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