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Sports.jpg
In the Puget Sound area, some schools are already extending athletic opportunities to disabled students. A Special Olympics program called Unified Sports combines equal numbers of athletes with and without disabilities on sports teams for training and competition. (Photo courtesy Special Olympics)

Schools must give disabled students a chance to play on sports teams

January 25, 2013 @ 9:18 am (Updated: 9:40 am - 1/25/13 )

Students with disabilities must be given opportunities to play on a traditional sports team or have their own leagues, according to a directive from the U.S. Department of Education.

Schools nationwide need to make "reasonable modifications" to accommodate them.

"Sports can provide invaluable lessons in discipline, selflessness, passion and courage, and this guidance will help schools ensure that students with disabilities have an equal opportunity to benefit from the life lessons they can learn on the playing field or on the court," Education Secretary Arne Duncan says in a statement.

The federal order is similar to Title IX expansion of athletic opportunities for girls and women four decades ago.

The question today is, who will pay for changes?

"This is a landmark moment for students with disabilities. This will do for students with disabilities what Title IX did for women," says Terri Lakowski, who for a decade led a coalition pushing for the changes. "This is a huge victory."

Lakowski says there are many benefits for disabled students who play in sports.

"We know that students with disabilities have higher rates of obesity than students without disabilities so from a health perspective this is critical," Lakowski says. "Participation in sports and physical fitness boosts self-esteem, improves educational outcomes and reduces drop-out rates."

Lisa Followay says sports has changed her disabled son's life. Emotionally and socially he went from being depressed to becoming a "very happy young man" who runs track and plays hockey.

In the Puget Sound area, some schools are already extending athletic opportunities to disabled students.

A Special Olympics program called Unified Sports combines equal numbers of athletes with and without disabilities on sports teams for training and competition.

Currently the programs offered here are basketball and soccer.

Youth and school district staff from across Washington State will participate in the first Special Olympics Washington Project UNIFY convention Saturday in Edmonds.

By LINDA THOMAS

CBS News contributed to this report

More from Linda Thomas

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Comments (18)


  • Add A Comment

  • Snout wrote...
    What?
    January 25, 2013 10:01 am
    I don't see a problem letting them try out for their chosen sport. We all know how that will go. But requiring their own leagues? Really? How many disabled students are at a given school? Will they have a two man football team?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Idocalex wrote...
    yeah...
    January 25, 2013 11:12 am
    I would think they envision a league like the Unified Sports model they mentioned in the article. I feel like when given the opportunity most athletes would love to get involved with that if there were no accommodations on a regular team.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Forrest wrote...
    No problem, go ahead and try out.
    January 25, 2013 11:35 am
    Able bodied athletic people get cut from the teams all the time when they are not good enough. Do we have to make a special league for them too?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Rick W7PSK wrote...
    in the PC Everyone gets a trophy
    January 25, 2013 11:48 am
    La la Land that will come. Or they will make the Best players NOT PLAY as well so the others wont feel bad.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Dizzle wrote...
    Yes.
    January 26, 2013 11:10 am
    They're called JV. And girls' teams.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Dizzle wrote...
    So...
    January 26, 2013 11:17 am
    Eliminate JV? Eliminate Girls leagues? Why not have just a district team instead of school teams. That would save money and weed out the unfit from sports.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • mnpat wrote...
    "The question today is, who will pay for changes? "
    January 25, 2013 12:48 pm
    As still is the case for title IX. And people wonder why football has turned into a game of musical chairs with coaches, it's all about how much revenue the football programs can produce because without the money there are no programs for women or men. While Title IX has helped, after 40 years of pouring money into programs you would expect at least one female sports program would finish in the black and help pay the bills, and that has never happened.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ActivePolicy wrote...
    Landmark Moment
    January 25, 2013 1:20 pm
    This is a landmark moment for students with disabilities. This will do for students with disabilities what Title IX did for women.” - Terri Lakowski Please refer to our website for updates and analysis www.activepolicysolutions.com
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    "Must"..."fair"...
    January 25, 2013 1:55 pm
    ...the socialist mentality; a cancer on our once great nation.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Dizzle wrote...
    Girls teams
    January 26, 2013 11:11 am
    Socialist.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • deltta wrote...
    What about front line combat roles?
    January 25, 2013 2:53 pm
    Is that whats next?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • rational wrote...
    Unintended consequences...
    January 25, 2013 4:45 pm
    Progressive plans always have unintended consequences...this one will likely shut down sports programs at all schools that can't afford to add more sports programs.

    Equal misery being the progressive goal here.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • maplefish wrote...
    Exactly
    January 25, 2013 6:54 pm
    I am all for kids / young people with special needs participating and competing in sports, but this new endeavor is going to cost money. And every single day we are reminded how underfunded our schools are. So, where is that funding going to come from? Will it be taken from other struggling programs? Will the other kids get screwed for the needs of just a few kids? And just wait until someone's feelings get hurt and the endless string of lawsuits shut down ll the other sports.... Another PC Liberal idea that will undoubtedly result in the destruction of a good thing....just wait, the lawsuits will kill athletics in schools.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • wsualumn wrote...
    Maple
    January 26, 2013 8:16 am
    Exactly! Where is the money going to come from? Schools are underfunded. Now how in the world are we going to pay for armed guards at schools? Here is something to consider for schools in regards to athletics. I am a firm believer in athletics at schools. The programs, however, can be very costly. Sometimes we get confused why some kids are in school. Is it for sports or academics? I have actually witnessed some kids complete their high school education simply because sports was their thing. If there wasn't high school sports, they probably would have quit. Europe has a different way of running their sports programs. They are separate from schools. Kids go to school only for academics and they can join a sports club that is outside of the school setting. It saves the schools huge dollars. Not something I necessarily agree with, but it is a way to save education dollars. Side note, Texas isn't real we known for their education system, but they sure love to spend their tax dollars on football. Mixed priorities in my opinion.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • rational wrote...
    wsualumn
    January 26, 2013 10:59 am
    Now how in the world are we going to pay for armed guards at schools?

    You're assuming they have to hire extra people. How about offering to cover training for any school staff that want it and a tax credit to offset their purchase of a firearm and utilize the staff that are already in the schools?

    As for the athletic programs...your post comes down on both sides. Firstly you suggest some kids stay in school simply because of the athletic programs (which essentially entices them to at a mimimum be exposed to education), and then you suggest spending money on athletic programs is a misplaced priority. You're thoughts are contradictory.

    Either way, my point was simply that the progressives never think through anything they demand. Good or bad, many schools will have to abandon athletic programs because they can't afford more of them. You can claim this is good because then all students suffer the lack of access together, or you can argue it's bad because with the obesity problem as well as the enticement for students to remain in school to keep access to athletic programs you will harm children.

    But progressives don't really give a rip about the kids anyway...they're just fodder to advance your agenda. How evil would you call a politican who uses the death of children to raise money? Yup, that's Obama for you.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • wsualumn wrote...
    Maple
    January 26, 2013 11:53 am
    You say I contradict myself. I was pointing out both sides of the argument. You also sound very ignorant when you say "progressives don't really give a rip about kids anyway." I'll tell you what, I have heard many stories about "arming those staff members that want to." First of all, most elementary schools have all women, that also includes the principal. I highly doubt that any of those folks want to pack a gun. I also have serious concerns when an innocent child ends up getting shot in crossfire. Who will be held liable? How many elementary school shootings have occurred over the last 10 years? Is it enough where we need to have armed personnel? High schools can be a different story. A number of them already gave armed security. Hey, I'm just trying to have a discussion to share points of view. You won't hear me saying "That is so stupid!" I will counter if someone is rude(AJ). Also, I don't recall Obama using the death of children to raise money. Which story was that? Also, do you think it is okay for politicians such as Sarah Palin to use the fear of "Death Panels" to further her agenda?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • rational wrote...
    wsualumn
    January 26, 2013 2:51 pm
    You responded to Maple, but it was my post you appear to be responding to. If your intent wsa just to see both sides of the argument that is well enough.

    As far as progressives caring about the kids...actons speak louder than words. Progressives care far more about unions than they do kids...they always take the side of unions over the education of the children. If you were concerned about the safety of the children you wouldn't argue against protecting them in the same way the president's kids are protected...with armed guards. Your argument that you're concerned about kids getting caught in a crossfire makes no sense...so you'd rather them just be gunned down without anyone attempting to stop the shooter...insane. You're concerned about liablity and lawsuits over the children's lives.

    You ask is it enough when we have armed personnel...no, we should stop insane people from getting guns...but that isn't the focus of the democrat's efforts. They are focused on eliminating the 2nd ammendment and are using the deaths of children to do so...and in addition Obama is using the death of children to raise money. It's bad enough to use them to try to strip constitutional rights from Americans, but it's down right ghoulish to use it just to raise a little money on the side as well.

    You asked where Obama is trying to raise money, here's a link...

    http://www.whitehousedossier.com/2013/01/25/obama-grassroots-group-newtown-raise-money/

    An email went out under Biden's name with a link to the Obama website to raise money.

    And nice try to use a bogus argument about Palin...she didn't use an actual tragedy to raise money...it took democrats to sink that low. She was pointing out an element to Obamacare.

    As I said, actions speak louder than words, so don't try to pretend progressives care about kids. Heck, 55 Million of them are dead over the last 40 years of Roe v Wade...that's quite a progressive legacy.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • ron prevost wrote...
    Although it is NOWHERE in this artical, I'm assuming 'students with disabilities' refers to emotionally/mentally challanges students.
    January 26, 2013 8:42 am
    Otherwise, just how would a student with the PHYSICAL disability of being unable to walk, for example, participate in school sports?

    That being cleared, my thoughts go immediately to the movie 'Forrest Gump' and to memories of my own high school where there have been many fine athletes who needed extra accomodations for non-physical disabilities. ... And I am surprised that there is currently some bar to their participation that necessitated this directive.

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
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