Adaptive Sports 7 their elementary, middle, and/or high school physical education classes and athletic programs. Depending on the geographic location, youth with disabilities also have opportunities to engage in adaptive sports within local community-based organ izations including Paralympic sport clubs, nonprofit adaptive sports organizations, county or city parks and recreation programs, or adaptive sports camps/clinics hosted by local rehabilitation hospitals. Youth with disabilities are able to hone their athletic skills, specific to their selected sport, in these targeted programs and can work their way into a more elite-level track. This includes competing in adaptive sports at the collegiate level and/or being recruited for national training camps, both of which can produce an opportunity to qualify for the national Paralympic team. Civil Rights Legislation Related to Youth, Disability, and Adaptive Sports In the last several decades, civil rights legislation specific to individuals who have a disability has been established within the United States to ensure that communi- ties and educational, vocational, and recreation/sports programs housed within com- munities are accessible and inclusive of individuals who have a disability. This legislation also protects individuals who have a disability from discrimination and exclusion. In 1990, the Americans with Disability Act (ADA) was created. The pur- pose of the ADA is to ensure that public services, transportation, and employment opportunities for persons who have a disability are available to the same equiva- lent and quality as those provided to individuals who do not have a disability. In addition, the ADA developed the Standards for Accessible Design that outlines spe- cific criteria that must be upheld within community structures to ensure that per- sons who have a disability can approach, enter, and use public facilities. More information regarding the ADA legislation can be found at http://www.ada.gov. The Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (2004), first introduced as the Education for All Handicapped Children (1975), is legislation requiring that school systems provide education to children and youth who have a disability. This legis- lation encourages schools to develop individualized education plans, based on indi- vidual student abilities and needs, and to provide accommodations and supports in order to ensure that student education takes place in a “least restrictive environment.” Access to participation in physical education is also included in this legislation, which addresses both mainstream (students with and without disabilities together) and special educational classroom settings. More information regarding the IDEA legislation can be found at http://idea . ed . gov. In 2013, the U.S. Department of Education provided clarification regarding Sec- tion 504 of the Rehabilitation Act (1973). The reason for the clarification: to
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