Still affected by a car crash spinal-cord injury, Dion Eden, president of BC Disc Golf Association, knew he wanted to offer the Playing in My Shoes opportunity to anyone who wants to know what it’s like to be differently abled.
At Rainbow Park in Prince George on Sunday, May 25 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and 31 other communities across Canada on the first day of Accessibility Week in Canada, people of all ages and abilities can see what it’s like to play disc golf from a wheelchair, using their less dominant hand, with earplugs, blindfolded or with a taped hand.
From the wheelchair it will answer the question of what barriers affect your play from a seated position. The wrong arm throw will show players how difficult it is to throw with your less dominant arm.
Blindfold throw will see participants try to find the basket without sight and the earplug throw will offer what it would be like to play with reduced or no hearing while a taped hand will demonstrate just how hard it is to throw the disc without being able to get a good grip on it.
This event is actively promoting inclusion and accessibility, an important aspect of everyday life for Eden, who can still play the game after his 2009 accident, it just looks a little different now. It took him a couple of years to get back to playing disc golf but as he began designing disc golf courses his own circumstances inspired him to think about enhancing accessibility.
“In 2022 I designed and installed a wheelchair accessible course in Keremeos, BC, where I live,” Eden said.
“That really got me rolling on the idea of making more courses more accessible.”
Disc golf was always a popular game but when the pandemic hit and social distancing was mandatory, people found the sport a perfect way to get outside while still interacting with people safely, Eden said.
“I want the message to get bigger,” Eden said.
“I want more courses to be accessible to create more diversity in the sport. The Playing in my Shoes event offers just a taste of what people experience with a different ability level. It’s really important to get the message out there because disc golf is a unique sport as you really don’t need to be mobile. If you’re not really quick on your feet you can still throw the disc and still have fun and that’s why I feel it’s more inclusive. As long as the course is accessible then that provides the inclusion and accessibility for everybody.”
Mike Trasolini, a member of PG Disc Golf, is helping to organize the local Playing in my Shoes event at Rainbow Park and said baskets will be set up near the utility shed across from Spruceland Community Arts School field so people can try the game with limited ability.
“We’ll be there to educate people that the sport is for everybody regardless of ability,” Trasolini said.
“It’s meant to be fun. It’s meant to be enjoyed by all.”
After that Trasolini said he will encourage people to stay and play the course.
“The disc golf community is very welcoming, very laid back, and you kind of have to have a bit of a sense of humour,” Trasolini said.
“You can’t take the sport too seriously when you’re an adult throwing a disc around a park, right? It’s got to be taken lightly. It’s a fun game, it’s relaxing and it’s social.”
There are several locations in Prince George where disc golf courses are set up including at College Heights Elementary School and Malaspina Elementary School and at the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club.
For more information about disc golf visit https://bcdiscgolf.ca/ or visit the all accessible disc golf Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61556657785821 or Eden’s personal Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/dee1man
