The Department of Veterans Affairs (also known as the VA) has announced that it will award $16 million in grants to adaptive sports programs to assist disabled veterans around the country. These grants are intended to help more than 13,000 veterans participate in programs that will allow them to improve their lives and help manage their disabilities. This same program aided 108 organizations throughout all 50 states, as well as Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, in 2022.
What Are Adaptive Sports?
Adaptive sports are a type of sports used to help with the rehabilitation and healing of people with disabilities. By engaging in rigorous physical activity in a controlled environment, people with certain physical disabilities can learn to exercise and adapt to their conditions. Some sports used in these programs include paralympic sports, archery, cycling, skiing, hunting, rock climbing, and skydiving, as well as equestrian sports.
How Do Adaptive Sports Programs Help Disabled People?
Adaptive sports programs help by ensuring disabled people are able to improve their conditions in a relatively safe environment. These programs can be specially tailored to assist people based on their individual needs, ensuring they give the maximum possible benefit. It can also help them psychologically, as participating in these programs can give them more of a sense of community and prevent them from feeling isolated by their disability.
What Will These Grants Do?
These grants are intended to help fund adaptive sports programs for disabled veterans around the country, so they can better handle the needs of these veterans. This will help them maintain an active and healthy lifestyle and better adjust to life outside of the military. However, eligible groups will need to apply for these grants to be able to benefit from the funding.
How Might This Affect Disabled Veterans?
For disabled veterans, this is one of many ways that the VA can assist them to make their lives easier. With adaptive sports, they can maintain their physical and psychological health, while engaging in fun activities like they did before they suffered their disability. In this way, disabled veterans can have healthier, happier lives, even with the injuries they have suffered as a result of their service.
The attorneys of Sullivan & Kehoe place a special focus on assisting disabled veterans. Our veterans’ disability lawyers are still available for remote consultation on your legal issues. Call our office at (800) 395-7830 to schedule a consultation in our New York City, Garden City, Kings Park, Riverhead, or White Plains office, or visit our contact page.
