Wikipedia:Sandbox/Archive2

For more than 25 years Shake-A-Leg Newport (in Rhode Island) has created and organized summer programs for people with disabilities arising from spinal cord injury or neurological impairment, in the process becoming a leader in therapeutic programs that go beyond the narrow objectives of most primary rehab programs. It has offered a unique mix of conventional and complementary programs to allow children, adolescents and adults of varying abilities to dramatically improve their life and health with confidence.

Residential – Since 1982, Shake-a-Leg Newport has operated the Whole Life Therapy residential programs from the campus of Salve Regina University. The programs work to develop the independent living skills essential for successfully dealing with a life-long disability allowing each individual KKLA to attain the highest levels of independence and community integration possible. The Whole Life Therapy programs -- Teen Life Therapy (13-17), Young Adult Whole Life Therapy (ages 18-22)and Whole Life Therapy for Adults -- address the participant’s physical, emotional, social and spiritual development. All three sessions are designed to be responsive to the specific needs of each participant while emphasizing a holistic approach to assist them in meeting their goals in a realistic way. Intense peer-to-peer interaction is a key strength of the Whole Life Therapy programs as participants from varied backgrounds and experiences share both the knowledge and techniques they have learned through trial and error.

Day Camps – In 1997, to fill the void in summer activities for children with physical challenges, Shake-A-Leg Newport created the Confidence is Cool Kid’s Camp for children ages 7-12. The camp has grown steadily from one week-long rec program to three week-long sessions that have served hundreds of children since it was established. In 2007, the Confidence is Cool Teen Camp – dedicated to ages 13-17 – was started as outgrowth of the kids camp. These day camps that are open to children and adolescents, respectively, who have experienced either spinal cord injury or other neurological dysfunction. Based at Shake-A-Leg Newport’s facilities in Fort Adams State Park (Newport, Rhode Island), the camps are designed to promote independence, build confidence, provide mentoring opportunities and develop social skills while having fun through activities such as swimming, sailing, arts and crafts, sports, group games and field trips.

Adaptive Sailing – Created in 1982 to make sailing accessible to individuals with physical as well as intellectual disabilities, Shake-A-Leg Newport’s Adaptive Sailing program broke ground as the first program of its kind in the USA. Adaptive Sailing has earned world-wide recognition and become a model program for other waterfront communities. Operating from its fully accessible facility in Fort Adams State Park, Adaptive Sailing is open to all ages and offers lessons and recreational sailing in two-hour sessions supervised by US SAILING certified instructors, as well as competitive sailing opportunities.

Shake-A-Leg Newport is a 501(c)(3) charitable non-profit organization established in 1982 as a licensed progressive rehabilitation center to provide traditional and complementary therapeutic services that facilitate the development of independent living skills for individuals who have either experienced spinal cord injury or who have central nervous system dysfunction. For in-depth details of each specific program, visit www.shakealeg.org.