With Learning Disability Week taking place from 17th – 23rd June, this year focuses on getting sporty!
People with a learning disability are twice as likely to be inactive and twice as likely to become obese than people without a learning disability. And almost 1 in 3 adults with a learning disability spend less than one hour outside their home on a typical Saturday.
Sport NI have partnered with Mencap NI and C60 Productions to create Virtual Reality experiences across 5 locations in Northern Ireland, which aims to get more people with a learning disability engaging with sport and sports facilities. The locations include Foyle Arena in Derry, Riding for Disabled Association Coleraine, Bangor Aurora Aquatic & Leisure Complex, Mary Peters Athletics Track in Belfast and Craigavon Golf & Ski Centre. This allows a variety of sports to be experienced and hopes to reduce the anxiety that people with a learning disability may face when trying new things.
The VR tours, through innovative technology, replicate the environment by simulating physical presence, this project will primarily benefit people with learning disabilities, the technology has the potential to extend the benefits to people with other disabilities, people with autism and autistic spectrum disorder, older people and people with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
This exciting projects helps address some of the issues identified during the development of the
Active Living No Limits Action Plan. Specifically around partnerships, networking, improved communication, and innovative engagement. The Virtual Reality experiences will increase knowledge of some of the sport and active recreation opportunities available across NI through the creative use of new technology.
Take the Tours at:
http://activelivingnolimits-vr.co.uk/
Bangor Aurora:
http://www.activelivingnolimits-vr.co.uk/BangorAurora/index.html
Bangor Aurora Aquatic and Leisure Complex is a £38m facility offering an excellent choice of sporting and leisure activities in Bangor, Northern Ireland. Equipped with a gym, range of workout classes, yoga and Pilates there is a wide range suitable for all.
A step forward in making Bangor Aurora more inclusive, Sport NI in partnership with Mencap NI and C60 Productions have created a Virtual Reality tour which will help people with learning difficulties to have a real life experience of what Bangor Aurora is like prior to their visit. The projects explores how technology can be used to support the facilitation of sporting opportunities by replicating the environment, activity and processes involved, where individuals experience an activity before actually taking part in it. The experience can be viewed numerous times in the lead up to the sporting activity and reduces uncertainty of an unfamiliar activity or environment.
The tour has audio description throughout and starts with the outside of the building, then moving into the reception area where there is a choice of where the participant would like to explore from the swimming pool, café, gym, sports hall and notice boards. There is extreme detail in the tour as the main aim is to reduce any anxiety or unknown the participants may have.
Mary Peters Track:
http://www.activelivingnolimits-vr.co.uk/MaryPetersTrack/index.html
Offering a range of track sports, the Belfast City Council Mary Peters Track is managed by Athletics Northern Ireland the governing body for the sport of athletics in Northern Ireland. Based on the Malone Road, the Mary Peters Track has opened up to people with a range of learning disabilities offering Virtual Reality tours with the help of Sport NI in partnership with Mencap NI and C60 Productions.
The projects explores how technology can be used to support the facilitation of sporting opportunities by replicating the environment, activity and processes involved, where individuals experience an activity before actually taking part in it. The experience can be viewed numerous times in the lead up to the sporting activity and reduces uncertainty of an unfamiliar activity or environment.
Along with audio description the tour begins with a lobby introduction and participants can choose where they would like to explore including the changing rooms, seating area, the track and notice boards. There is also an option for participants to view a 360 degree experience around the track as well as an explanation of the pole vault with reassurance that staff will be at hand to help when required. While this project will primarily benefit people with learning disabilities, the technology has the potential to extend the benefits to people with other disabilities, people with autism and autistic spectrum disorder, older people and people with Alzheimer’s and dementia.
Craigavon Ski:
http://www.activelivingnolimits-vr.co.uk/CraigavonSki/index.html
With Craigavon Golf Ski Centre being Northern Ireland’s only outdoor artificial ski slope, they have welcomed Mencap NI in partnership with Sport NI to create a Virtual Reality experience. This project will support the facilitation of sporting opportunities by replicating the environment, activity and processes involved, where individuals experience an activity before actually taking part in it.
The technology provided by C60 Productions, will help to eliminate the fears someone with learning disabilities may face going into a new environment. The tour shows every detail someone will face when visiting the centre, starting with the entrance and reception area. From here participants have the options of where they would like to explore in the centre, including the café, ski slope and notice boards. If the participant chooses the ski slope they are then directed to the instructor who informs them that they will be given the appropriate equipment before getting to the slope. At the instructor desk the participants can watch a video which describes that you will be weighed and showed the ski boots, helmet and all the equipment required or go to the ski slope. The video will be beneficial to those who may be sensitive to certain senses as it shows them exactly what will happen.
The tour then proceeds outside to the ski slope where participants can view 360 videos of upright ski, slalom in chair or tubing. The tour allows users to go up and down the slopes as many times as they feel comfortable, then shows how they can walk around the centre.
RDA Coleraine:
http://www.activelivingnolimits-vr.co.uk/RDAColeraine/index.html
The Riding for the Disabled Association in Coleraine provides recreational and therapeutic riding and sporting opportunities for people with a disability living in Coleraine and the surrounding area. While providing a platform for a variety of experiences, RDA have now welcomed Mencap in partnership with Sport NI in developing Virtual Reality tours.
The tour starts with users being welcomed by the receptionist who reassures she is there to help, the users can then choose where they would like to visit in the tour. The first option is for the waiting and mounting area where participants will fitted with a riding helmet and boots, this element is beneficial to those who may be sensitive to certain senses as it shows them exactly what will happen. The video describes in detail how to put on boots and helmets as well as reassurance that the instructor will bring the participants to their horse. Once the users click to view the stable, they are told they will see horses on their left and will then be able to use the lift to mount the horse. Further on through the tour participants can click through activities to experience horse riding.
Foyle Arena:
http://www.activelivingnolimits-vr.co.uk/FoyleArena/index.html
Foyle Arena located in Derry, has an array of activities suitable for all including a swimming pool, gym, climbing wall as well as offering an assortment of classes. Foyle Arena have welcomed Mencap NI in partnership with Sport NI to deliver Virtual Reality tours which will create a welcoming experience for people with learning disabilities into Foyle Arena. The projects explores how technology can be used to support the facilitation of sporting opportunities by replicating the environment, activity and processes involved, where individuals experience an activity before actually taking part in it. The experience can be viewed numerous times in the lead up to the sporting activity and reduces uncertainty of an unfamiliar activity or environment.
The experience starts at the reception where users are welcomed with options to visit the café, changing room, climbing wall, viewing platform or notice boards as they would when actually visit the centre. When users select to view the climbing wall they are firstly reassured that they can climb as high as they feel comfortable. There are 4 videos for the users to choose from including a safety briefing, virtual climbing, 360 bouldering and 360 climbing wall. In the viewing area users can look on to the climbing wall where they can watch on if they do not feel comfortable climbing the wall. With the tour being available to view as many times as the user wants it aims to reduce uncertainty of an unfamiliar activity or environment.
The link to the entire project is http://www.activelivingnolimits-VR.co.uk