Our Programs

Camp PossAbilities

WHAT IS CAMP POSSABILTIES?

A community-academic partnership between the Christina Sullivan Foundation and UTMB to address health disparities for people with disability.

Why Camp PossAbilities?

  • People with disabilities are underrepresented in the curriculum of professional health education.

  • Major healthcare bodies call for improved training In the care of people with disabilities.

  • People with disabilities are more than twice as likely to report finding healthcare provider skills inadequate and four times more likely to be treated badly.

  • Inadequate knowledge and limited experience play a significant role in perpetuating healthcare inequities.

Sources: Alliance for Disability in Health Care Education (2018). Core Competencies on Disability for Health Care Education. Peacock, NJ: Alliance for Disability in Health Care Education. and WHO | World report on disability (2011)

THE MISSION:

A partnership was formed between UTMB and the Christina Sullivan Foundation to:

  • Meet the community's need for inclusive sports

  • Provide an inter-professional practice experience for students

  • Encourage PT, OT, and MD student “buddies” to work as a team with a group of assigned athletes with disabilities in playing adaptive sports including tennis and bocce.

  • Form deeper connections and understanding through team continuity and profiles of the likes, dislikes, and capabilities of each “buddy” and athlete.

  • Develop adaptive equipment to improve athlete engagement, which is fabricated by students and faculty.

THE RESULTS:

The Foundation’s experience and leadership combined with UTMB’s faculty expertise and student passion have resulted in transformative experiences for both “buddies” and athletes.

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What We’ve Learned

  • This collaboration provides a natural inter-professional practice experience for students and faculty.

  • It closes an identified education gap and promotes long-term reduction in health inequities by providing students with knowledge and experience in working with people with disability.

  • A successful model for adaptive sports programming and learning has been implemented including Bocce and Tennis.

  • Student demand to participate exceeds capacity. Currently, participation is limited to 30 students for each 6-week session.

  • The student-participant experiences are rich and meaningful beyond anything achievable in a classroom.