When we started paracycling in the Coachella Valley through the Tour De Palm Springs in 2010, four amputees joined in to ride the 5-mile ride. Within two years we had enough handcycles to offer monthly clinics in the Palm Desert Civic Center Park. Today these riders are spending 2-3 hours on the road covering 20-25 miles. And the Tour? There are more than 200 riders with disabilities registering to walk or ride each year.

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A YEAR MAKES

Damian Sanchez, Handcyclist 2017 and 2018

We have watched our riders grow in numbers and their performance advance. We have seen their health improve and their engagement in the community grow.
Engaging other organizations in the Tour and the Ability Festival has resulted in a growing number of adaptive sports and recreation programs for people with developmental disabilities across the Coachella Valley. Participating alongside other Paralympian level programs has brought a wide array of opportunities to our youth.

We are now entering a new phase where these athletes will be entering high school and hope that during the coming year we will see the advent of competitive adaptive sports on our campuses. We plan, as well, to launch a scholarship program so that any youth with a physical disability will have access to adaptive sports equipment.

We often say “It is not what we do but what happens because of what we do.” To those who have found new careers, or went back to college, learned to drive or pursue a passion, we commend you. The independence and mobility you found in cycling is evident in how you now live your lives.

Keep coming back – and bring a friend.

Welcome to the 2018–19 Desert Ability Center season of sports and events.  It’s been a long, hot summer and we are so looking forward to the launch of our new season.

CYCLING. We want to begin by thanking the City of La Quinta, a generous private donor and Renova Solar for their support that allowed us to replace our handcycles and recumbents that were stolen in May of this year.  We will be back on the road in October pushing to attain our 35 mile goal for our riders.

WHEELCHAIR TENNIS.  We are beginning to see some awesome growth in our tennis players that has resulted in two level of instruction.  As our beginners begin to advance to the next level, we are looking for more players to join us at the Marriott Desert Springs.

WHEELCHAIR BASKETBALL.  We are so glad to be bringing wheelchair tennis back and will be running a 12-week clinic for wheelchair users and able body volunteers.

DISABILITY SPORTS FESTIVAL.  Desert Ability Center is all about ability and possibilities.  For this reason the DisAbility Sports Festival is “ditchin’ the dis” and will become the ABILITY FESTIVAL.  We look forward to you joining us on Saturday, December 1, 2018 to “show us what you’re made of.”

SUPPORT SERVICES.  Through DESERT AMP CREW and SPINAL TAP we offer support for those living with limb loss and those living with spinal cord injuries.  Our monthly meetings bring together some pretty amazing people to support each other, meets professionals in the fields of amputations, spinal cord injuries and other neurological disorders.

We are so excited about the connection we have made with the health providers in the rehabilitation centers who are joining us to connect those with disabilities to these services.

TOUR DE PALM SPRINGS.  This will be our 9th year riding in the Tour de Palm Springs and supporting the inclusion of riders with disabilities.  We welcome riders of all levels and have cycles available for use.

DESERT ABILITY CENTER. The development of adaptive sports in the Coachella Valley has included a wide array of adaptive sports clinic, events, educational programs and collaborations across the entirety of the Coachella Valley.  It is now time to give our athletes a home.

Desert Ability Center is in the beginning phase of planning for an adaptive sports center that is 100% accessible, where all are welcome and where the playing field is leveled so all can participate.

We are actively looking for movers and shakers, people recognized for their ability to make change and believe that all our community members have the right to be included.  We are looking for those who would like to be a part of this process and contribute their time and talent in development, design, sports, fundraising, healthcare and marketing to join our team.  If you think you can be the person we are looking for, contact us at (760) 674-7073.

Join us.  You will be glad you did.

 

DESERT ABILITY CENTER received it’s 501(c)(3) designation in February 2017 and hit the ground running with a number of events and programs.

THE DESERT AMP CREW is a program of events and services for people with amputations.  We are very excited about having not one, not two, but three Amputee Certified Peer Visitors – Louanne and Ed Granados and Tom Horne.  Monthly meetings are held at the Palm Springs Air Museum where Tom volunteers.  Meetings are held the third Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m.  We are pleased to see new attendees each month and equally pleased with the professionals in the field come to speak, meet and greet attendees.

THE CYCLE CREW had some great rides this season.  Riders who have been cycling with us for a while are now challenging themselves to ride anywhere from 10-25 miles. Big thanks to Ed Granados for leading our groups, Jerry Alcorn and Kevin Hams for setting up the clinics and Letitia Collins who kept our riders on the road.

WHEELCHAIR TENNIS is back on the courts thanks to the Marriott Desert Springs.  We had a terrific season and the players hated to see the season end but we will be back on the courts mid October.  Thank you to Jim Leupold and Dave Kensler for their generosity of time and spirit.  Clinics are conducted on Saturday at 2:00 p.m.  A growing veteran tennis program is conducted at 3:00 p.m.

OPERATION ABILITY was outstanding this year.  Twenty veterans had the opportunity to experience an array of sports including SCUBA.  Instruction was provided by Diver Warriors – one amazing group of veterans.  Tennis was provided by coaches at the Marriott Desert Springs Tennis club staff, Anthony Lara and Seth Haynie.  The Marriott also provided golf instruction.  Jim Rothblatt conducted the cycling clinic and Jonathan Waltiere of Fresno conducted a fantastic basketball clinic.  There were nearly 70 riders at the cycling clinic in La Quinta.  Thank you to all the volunteer riders who came to ride with our vets.

A third year grant has been submitted to bring Operation Ability to the desert again next year.  Check back for our new location and new sports.

OPERATION ABILITY is going to be offering one more 2-day event in August at Pathfinders Ranch at Mountain Center.  Local veterans with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

We wish all our participants, coaches and volunteers a great summer.  We will be back on the road and on the courts in the fall and look forward to seeing you all then.

 

 

 

It all started with 4 riders back in 2010 when Jim Rothblatt decided if we were going to stay in this business of helping people with disabilities we were going to make it fun.  Thanks to Bill Nessel, along with two members of Amputee Connections of Redlands and Pops Carter, a Coachella Valley Amputee, we entered to ride in the Tour.  Over the course of eight years we would invite PossAbilities, UCP-IE and Angel View to join us.  We would ultimately see more than 100 riders with disabilities in this ride that draws nearly 10,000 riders each year.

2017 was a landmark year as we were joined by service members supported by an adaptive sports Veterans Administration grant we call Operation Ability.  In collaboration with Dr. Aaron Moffett of the US Air Force Wounded Warrior program, multiple opportunities  are being created throughout the year to engage veterans throughout the Inland Empire.

Many of these veterans and others will be returning to the desert in April 2017 for our 2-day Operation Ability Adaptive Sports and Leadership event.  During this event the veterans will have the opportunity to experience firsthand multiple adaptive sports and the opportunity to teach these sports to local children and adults with disabilities.

Thank you to UPS, Jim Rothblatt, Vic Yepello and all the volunteers who joined us on the streets!

Much more to come so keep checking back.

With more days behind 2016 than ahead, 2017 is beginning to loom brightly in the not so distant future.  Desert Ability Center looks forward to a year of programmatic growth and outreach.

We have a plate that is beginning to fill with the treats that are the DAC.

Letitia Collins has kept our cyclists busy with bi-monthly rides across the valley through THE CYCLE CREW.  She has also spearheaded a fundraiser that allowed us to award two children with handcycles.

We look forward to providing more handcycles for our children, youth and adults who live with a physical disability with your help.

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We now have three, yes three, Certified Peer Visitors who will be re-launching our amputee support group DESERT AMP CREW.  These monthly meetings are designed to support people who may be scheduled for an amputation, while they are in the hospital and after they return home.  Meetings are held the 3rd Wednesday of each  month, 6:30-8:30 pm at the Palm Springs Air Museum.

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We will continue to serve veterans with disabilities through our VA Adaptive Sports program  OPERATION ABILITY.  Through this grant veterans rode in the Patriot Ride and will be riding in the Tour de Palm Springs in January 2017.  The 2nd Operation Ability 2-day adaptive sports event will take place in early April.

 

We thank you for your support while we rebuild programs that are meeting the needs of people who live with a disability and maximize the quality of life.

 

Welcome to Desert Ability Center. We are in the process of establishing a new 501(c)(3) so that we can continue to develop adaptive sports and recreational rehabilitation programs to meet the needs of people who live with disabilities.

Over the past seven years leading up to the establishment of DAC, we have accomplished a great deal to change the perception of people with disabilities, create opportunities and increase engagement through such events as the Tour de Palm Springs, the Patriot Ride, Santa Paws Run and Cycledelic. These efforts had a clear impact on these events resulting, for example, in the Tour de Palm Springs increasing the number of riders with disabilities from 4 to over 100 and the addition of a 1-mile walk, run, roll for those with disabilities and seniors.

We are firm believers that people with disabilities should have the opportunity to enjoy those recreational opportunities all people enjoy. To this end we have rock climbed and gone off road in Joshua Tree, played ice sled hockey at the Desert Ice Castle in Cathedral City, played in the snow at USARC in Big Bear and wheelchair skateboarded at the Palm Springs Skatepark.

We believe in the power of sport and introduced wheelchair basketball, wheelchair tennis and paracycling to our community.

We believe in the power of collaboration and launched the Coachella Valley DisAbilities Collaborative and the Adaptive Sports Advisory Council to bring together those individuals and organizations that serve children, youth and adults who live with disabilities to maximize resources both human and financial.

We believe in the power of peers and launched the Amputee Connection of Palm Desert to support those who live with limb loss and limb deficiency.

We believe in the power of athleticism and watched our paracyclists begin with 1-mile rides to improving their health and skill level to conquer 25-50 mile rides. These efforts did not go unnoticed and numerous Coachella Valley parathletes were granted funds to purchase their own paracycles and other adaptive equipment.

To create opportunities for people of all ages and any disability, we launched the DisAbility Sports Festival Coachella Valley. This is now the second largest adaptive sports festival in Southern California.

We believe in helping our veterans and service members who live with a disability re-discover their lives and created a veteran focused event called Operation Ability. This 2-day even not only introduces our veterans to adaptive sports but provides them leadership training and incentivizes them to take adaptive sports back to their community.

The future of DAC is focused on continuing to interact with those who live with disabilities to determine how we can continue to serve their needs through a Transformational Change project that will begin this season.

Our goal is to create an adaptive sports and recreational rehabilitation center for people with disabilities. Your continued participation will support these efforts. Support adaptive sports. . .and bring a friend.

Judy May, CEO
Desert Ability Center