Abstract

The primary aim of this project is to understand how people with disabilities move through the water. For people with disabilities and chronic diseases, identifying how various disabilities impair swimming function can guide the development of appropriate teaching methods for aquatic modalities in rehabilitation, physical activity and competitive sport. Thus, new opportunities for physical activity, can be created. Additionally, from this new knowledge, a new, evidence-based classification system for swimming will be developed. A more valid classification system that is related to the degree of impairment for the sport in question should lead to greater participation in competitive sport by people with disabilities. The data collection includes three phases: (1) In people with disabilities, determine the relationships between the musculoskeletal profile and the measures of force production in dry land swimming (as the majority of swimmers are lower limb influenced); (2) Quantify the specific propulsion and drag profile relationships for the range of anthropometric and physical disability profiles; (3) Develop novel Computational Fluid Dynamics methodology to quantify the effect of loss of function of specific anatomical segments on the ability to move in the aquatic environment. Aus dem Text