SN Judo South Australia

SN Judo South Australia There has been an overwhelming interest in Australia's "First" Special Needs Judo Club and a lot of hard "Yakka" (work) ahead, but we are determined.

Elizabeth Special Needs Judo Club has affiliation with Judo SA (South Australia) who is associated with JFA (Judo Federation of Australia).

We are registered under South Australian Business and Consumers Affairs as a non-profit sporting club and our coachers are National Coaching Accredited with the Australian Sports Commission.

‘ELIZABETH SPECIAL NEEDS JUDO CLUB’Dojo Location: Elizabeth R.S.L. Midway Road, Elizabeth West. (Adelaide)South Australia.
Senior Coach: Paul Reeves.
Special Needs Judo Australia.

E-mail: paulreeves@ozemail.com.auWeb Site: SPECIAL NEEDS JUDO AUSTRALIA:

http://groups.msn.com/SPECIALNEEDSJUDOAUSTRALIA

Thankyou to Mr Roy Court and Mr Stephen Westlake for supporting us!

paulreeves@ozemail.com.au

Good Afternoon,

My name is Darren Andrews I am the producer and presenter of AchieveAbility, a weekly radio show that airs on

Radio Adelaide 101.5FM every wednesday between 3:30 -4pm.

I came across your groups and information on Enable net. It sounds like a great intiative.

I would like to offer opportunites for an interviews about the judo club.

As this intiative fits in with what my show is about.

WHAT IS SPECIAL NEEDS JUDO AUSTRALIA WEBSITE IS ALL ABOUT - FROM PAUL REEVES.‎

From: PAUL REEVES (paulreeves@ozemail.com.au)

Sent: 25 May 2007 12:44:43

Reply-to: paulreeves@ozemail.com.au

To: karel.curran@ihug.com.au; antclarke@cobweb.com.au; canuck@senet.com.au; hustig@internode.on.net; lanythomasthompson@hotmail.com.au; royjudo2@hotmail.co.uk; saul.ryan@bigpond.com.au; stan_anne_reeves@albemarle41.freeserve.co.uk; sw007a4645@blueyonder.co.uk

"SPECIAL NEEDS JUDO AUSTRALIA" is a website for coaches to access information about integrating children with disabilities into the sport of Judo.

It opens up dialogue, ideas, thoughts and I dare say, criticism and access to understanding about child disabilities and Judo. Its a place to explore the

myths and truths concerning children with disabilities.

Integration is the best option when it come to children wishing to participate in judo. However this is not always possible for a variety of reasons.

Special Needs Judo has existed for many years throughout Europe and the United Kingdom, and has been endorsed by the British Judo Association.

There is lots of evidence and documentation in existence to support Special Needs Judo is not only feasible but beneficial for children with disabilities.

Australia is falling behind with this development, however I feel change can be made to open judo to the broader community.

Judo is not just about competitors and winners, there is more benefits to Judo than that!

The benefits of judo as a sport is multi-faceted.

Sport provides:

Exercise & muscle tone development.
Bone development.
Cardiovascular fitness.
Social Interaction.
Personal Development.
Group Work.
Improves self-esteem.
Improves Communication skills.
Developments Judo Skills and techniques.
Respect towards others.
But most importantly, it is fun and recreational.

Some children have difficulties with balance, ability to remember or learn new things, and may also have cognition impairment.

This doesn't mean that they cant play Judo. Most children with mixed disabilities will gain all the benefits mentioned above if given the opportunity.

Unfortunately, there is a lack of knowledge or understanding about different childhood intellectual or physical disabilities that has previously
excluded them from participating.

Many coaches, including myself, lack disability sports coaching.

Many parents/carers claim extreme difficulties trying to gain access for their child in most sporting club. Often the door slams shut as soon as they mention

that their child has autism, or downs syndrome, or has a learning problem, or a physical weakness.

Sometimes I wonder who are the clubs for? Are they for the children.... or for the parents, coaches and officials?

While some sporting clubs continue to exclude children with physical, intellectual or mixed disabilities, the more they are disadvantaged in so many ways.

Europe leads the way in providing modification and alternatives to sporting rules as to include people with disabilities.... their success is testimony the feasibility and
practicality of integrated sports. This is our evidence that it can be achieved!

There is a number of disability acts again endorsed by the Australian Sports Commission and (in theory) agreed by National Sporting Bodies like the Judo Federation of Australia.

The Special Olympic Committee's, a dedicated body of officials in Australia, are working toward equality in Special Needs Olympic Sport, but there are no Judo Events.

With-in the Paralympic spectrum, "Judo is open to male vision impaired athletes as its touch, balance and sensitivity complement the highly developed skills of these competitors. Athletes compete under the International Judo Federation rules and all events feature knockout competition. The only modification for the Paralympic event is the texture of the mats to indicate competition area and zones". Viewed: http://www.paralympic.org.au/apc_sports.asp?id=134

Currently there are no Special Needs Judo Competitions with-in Australia for children.

While many areas of the European continents have regular Special Needs Judo Competitions for children, an opportunity exist for Australia to join the list of nations who support disability judo.

The Judo Federation of Australia is the 'government approved' National Body for Judo in Australia.

I would be further interested if they would consider increasing there scope of responsibilities to the special needs community ?

"The Disability Discrimination Act makes discrimination unlawful in sport except if

a person is not reasonably capable of performing actions reasonably required in relation to the sporting activity; or
people who participate in the sporting activity are selected by a method which is reasonable on the basis of relevant skills and abilities; or
a sporting activity is conducted only for persons who have a particular disability and the person does not have that disability. " as viewed on 25/05/07.

AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS & EQUAL OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION.
VIEWED: http://www.hreoc.gov.au/disability_rights/sport.htm
25/05/07.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Readings of Interest:

AUSTRALIAN SITES:

DISABILITY SPORT - SPORT ABILITY PROGRAM. WEBSITE ADDRESS: http://www.ausport.gov.au/dsu/sports_ability.asp

DISABILITY SPORT COMMISSION - ETHICS IN SPORT - RESOURCES. WEBSITE ADDRESS: http://www.ausport.gov.au/ethics/information_sheets/IS_disability_discrimination.asp

DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION ACT 1992. WEBSITE ADDRESS: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/dda1992264/

PLAY BY THE RULES. WEBSITE ADDRESS: http://www.playbytherules.net.au/site/play_by_the_rules.jsp

DISABILITY DISCRIMINATION ACT. WEBSITE ADDRESS: http://www.humanrights.gov.au/disability_rights/dda_guide/dda_guide.htm

AUSTRALIAN HUMAN RIGHTS & EQUAL OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION.
VIEWED: http://www.hreoc.gov.au/disability_rights/sport.htm
25/05/07.

DISABILITY SPORTS - PROJECT CONNECT. WEBSITE ADDRESS: http://www.ausport.gov.au/connect/
AUSTRALIAN SPORTS COMMISSION.

SPECIAL NEEDS JUDO AUSTRALIA: (SOUTH AUSTRALIA) WEBSITE ADDRESS: http://groups.msn.com/SPECIALNEEDSJUDOAUSTRALIA

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

INTERNATIONAL WEB SITES:

ALL GLOBAL LINKS FOR SPECIAL NEEDS JUDO CAN BE FOUND THROUGH:
INCLUDING GRADING SYLLABUS AND COMPETITION RULES:

JUDO FOR THE DISABLE

http://www.judo-for-the-disabled.freeservers.com/

FROM HERE THERE IS A WORLD OF LINKS!

PAUL REEVES
ELIZABETH SPECIAL NEEDS JUDO CLUB Inc.
(SOUTH AUSTRALIA)
paulreeves@ozemail.com.au

Welcome to our first newsletter. The formation of the first Special Needs Judo in Australia has met with many unexpected supporters from both Judo SA, from the media and members of the public. The development of our club commenced late 2006, and I must admit it has been full on since. RADIO EXPOSURE I have been asked by Mr Darren Andrews Producer & Presenter of a programme called “AchieveAbility” on RADIO ADELIADE 101.5FM to come in and talk about our club and despite me nerves about being on air, all went well. Then while at work ABC Radio’s Carole Whitelock,s phoned me up and also wanted to conduct a phone interview. I never heard her presentation of our interview, However other members of Judo SA did, and gave me positive feed back as well. Wow, that was a relief! Other friends later told me that our interview had spread to other networking stations though-out the state… to my surprise! Thankyou to both Carole and Darren for providing me an opportunity to increase community awareness. OUR LOGO: I designed our logo last month. The rolly polly characters have a multi-perspective image. I displays two judoka (persons playing Judo) on the mats. Alternatively, I can be viewed as one throwing another! My wife Sheree and Myself have been involved in making our banner, however there still some work to be completed.What do you think? Grading Congratualations! Congratulation to Ben Dudson for Grading from White Belt (6^th Kyu) to Yellow Belt (5^th Kyu) on the 1^st May, 2007. A certificate will be coming from Judo SA real soon. Well Done! Networking: I have been MASS Mailing to over 53 Doctors Clinics and over 74 Public & Private Schools (Including Special needs Schools) in the northern & north western region increasing public awareness about our club. Many schools have placed our flyer in their newsletters which will also increase public awareness. This exposure has been very positives with enquiries flooding in. Community networking with organisations (both Government and Non-Government) regarding disability has also been our focus. The following organisations have been contacted: R.B.S. ADELAIDE, BLIND SPORTING COUNCIL, COMMUNITY BRIDGING SERVICES, DISABILITY INFORMATION AND RESOURCE CENTRE, DISABILITY SERVICES, DOWN SYNDROME SOCIETY, DYSTONIA SUPPORT GROUP, INDEPENDENT DISABLE PERSONS ASSOCIATION,
INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY SERVICES COUNCIL INC., RECREATION LINK-UP, SOUTH AUSTRALIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE, SPECIAL OLYMPICS SOUTH AUSTRALIA, SPINA BIFIDA HYDROCEPHALUS ASSOCIATION INC., SUNEDEN SPECIAL SCHOOL, TURNER SYNDROME ASSOCIATION OF AUSTRALIA. (SA BRANCH), LIFE WITHOUT BARRIERS, MUSCULAR DYSTROPHY ASSOCIATION INC., NOVITA CHILDREN SERVICES, PARENT ADVOCACY INC., PHOENIX SOCIETY INC., PHYSICAL DISABILITY COUNCIL OF SOUTH AUSTRALIA, WHEELCHAIR SPORTS ASSOCIATION INC., C.P. SPORTS & ELIZABETH SPECIAL SCHOOL. EQUIPMENT/MATS: kANGAROO JUDO CLUB were kind enough to loan us with some green soft mats until we can afford our own. We do intend to apply for government grants in the near future, however suitable mats are essential for any judo club. Thankyou Christine and Harry Hustig from Kangaroo Judo Club.I have purchased further second-hand (Blue) Mats with my own finances at a cost of $3,000. I have also purchased a “Therapy Roll” which is a foam cylinder covered in vinyl – which is ideal for learning forward break-falls!There are also 43 Mats coming from New Zealand at my expense and should arrive in the next month or so! CONSTITUTION/INCORPORATION: Elizabeth Special Needs Judo Club Incorporated has been approved under the Office of Consumer and Business Affairs. This means that our constitution has been approved by the State Government. A copy is available to anyone who wishes to read our constitution as well as our certificate of Incorporation.

Paul Reeves

paulreeves@ozemail.com.au