Protection Sports in a Wheelchair? - Page 2

Thank you, all, for the responses.

Hadn't considered the liability thing (either what if X happens or ADA issues). Was more interested in the can it be done physically and IAW rules.

I especially liked the YouTube :-)

Thanks, again.

I haven't seen anyone in a wheel chair though Im sure its been done. One of my favorite people I've ever met in the sport was an older guy who only had one leg, he managed to do great. I know at trials there were a few things that they would allow to be different because of his physical limitations but this guy honestly was more capable than 50% of adults I know. Strangely enough I dont remember seeing anything in any official rules about people with physical disabilities. I would email or call one of the sport organizations to get an official answer.

sentinelharts, you know I was thinking of a manual wheelchair operated by a handler with upper body strength. (There are competitive basketball players in manual wheelchairs.) That video was an eye opener..wow.

Klossbruhe, two long winded excuses to discriminate, and maintain the status quo. Lol how about a third..

GK1, if you actually read and were able to understand what I posted, you will notice that I never wrote anything which could be taken as my being against disabled persons taking part in protection sports. I support their participation.

What I did do was to try and answer the OP's question of whether it was possible to take part. I said, it was depending on the club, the activity and the dog. Then I went on to address, from a legal standpoint, the issue of liability vis a vis taking part in the protection segment and suggested that potentially serious liability would exist. This could play a part in the decision by a club of whether they would allow a disabled person to participate.

Misunderstanding my post, you then wrote that discrimination by a club based on disability would be fodder for an attorney versed in disability law.

But this is wrong. I simply laid out, by explaining the ADA, with which you are obviously not familiar, that this would not be fodder for such a knowledgeable attorney because the ADA does not apply to private clubs. I did this to remove the impression your post suggests that such lawsuits would be successful in the goal of preventing individuals from wasting time and money hiring an attorney to bring a suit which would in all likelihood be unsuccessful.

Again, I support the right of disabled individuals to take part in protection sports. But clubs and individuals should understand that there are concomittent liabilities which attach to their participation above and beyond those which attach to individuals who are not disabled.