October 25, 2023

The Clarke County School District is pleased to announce it will begin offering adapted sports programming to eligible students, starting with wheelchair basketball later this year and expanding to football and handball in 2024. 

The district has joined the American Association of Adapted Sports Programs, Inc. (AAASP), which is collaborating with the Georgia Department of Education to provide access to interscholastic athletics to students with physical disabilities or sensory impairments. The 2023 Georgia A.S.P.I.R.E. inception grant offers assistance to Georgia school districts and their partnering agencies who demonstrate a desire and commitment to implement adapted sports programming in their local communities. The $30,500 grant will help purchase new equipment for the implementation of the programming. 

AAASP governs the interscholastic adaptedSPORTS® programs for the state of Georgia and is in dual governance of the disability divisions established cooperatively through the AAASP/GHSA (Georgia High School Association) Alliance. Association membership is open to all Georgia school districts. If the district elects, they may collaborate with another school district or community partner, such as a local YMCA and/or parks and recreation department.

In the first year of implementation, CCSD plans to offer wheelchair basketball, football, and handball with one districtwide co-ed team per sport for all eligible male and female students in grades 6-12. Students who have an orthopedic impairment or sensory impairment (including vision and hearing impairments) are eligible. Adapted sports athletes are not eligible for Special Olympics as the two organizations serve different populations. AAASP serves students with physical disabilities, while Special Olympics serves students with intellectual disabilities. 

Students with a qualifying disability do not need to currently use a wheelchair. Wheelchairs will be provided as part of the adapted sports equipment for students who do not use a wheelchair for mobility on a daily basis. Students who are ambulatory, use assistive devices, or use a manual or power wheelchair are eligible.

Click HERE for a list of disabilities served by the program. 

CCSD’s immediate goal is to recruit qualified students for the wheelchair basketball team in order to begin holding practices in the coming weeks in preparation for the start of the season in January. The wheelchair basketball season runs through March; football season runs from March through May, and handball season is from September to November. 

Families interested in enrolling their students in CCSD’s adapted sports programming should contact Chris Aiken, the district’s area coordinator, at aikenc@clarke.k12.ga.us. 

“This initiative strikes at the heart of CCSD’s core beliefs as outlined in our 2024-29 Strategic Plan - that we are responsible for collaboratively supporting student growth and development and for understanding the needs of our students and their families,” said Dr. Robbie Hooker, CCSD Superintendent. “By providing opportunities for students with physical disabilities the option to engage with each other, we are meeting students where they are and working proactively to include them in the complete school experience.”