Experiential Assignment

Diversity Experience

Info about Organization

The activity that I attended is called Kingpin Pals Bowling Program. The location is a bowling area called Erie Lanes at 1310 Erie Avenue Philadelphia, PA. They have leagues target seniors, youth, men, women and Handicap. The program I attended is designed for adults with cerebral palsy and other related physical impairments. It is a league that lets people with cerebral palsy and other related physical impairments to not only bowling together but also have a good time to socialize. They all meet up at Erie Lanes every other Saturdays at 9:30. Most of them are sitting in the wheel chair and need volunteers to help them, but I’m sure they all had a good time. My supervisor is Ms. Lylian Melendez and her assistant.

Duties and Experiences

Before the event I helped to set up the adaptive equipment for bowling in a wheelchair. My responsibility in the event was to help the wheelchair user to aim the target. For the safety reason, we don’t want them to move towards the ball and get it themselves. So I also cleaned the oil on the bowl and put on the adaptive equipment. Another job that I did is to encourage them when they don’t have a good score. After they done, I recorded the score for them and reported to Ms. Lylian Melendez.

Accessibility Issues and Modifications

During the event I find out the accessibility to go through the building is well designed and easy for wheelchair users to access. But the problem is inside the building there is no pre build equipment for them to use it easier at Erie lanes. Ms. Lylian had to bring her own ramps and adaptive equipment by herself every time. Me and Ms. Lylian must be here early and set up the ramps and adaptive equipment for them to enter the lane. After the event we had to carry it back. All the adaptive equipment is not cheap and around two, three hundred. Ms. Lylian had to pay herself to buy and maintain them. In my opinion, the US government should regulate that bowling business had to provide numbers of ramps to enter the lane and adaptive equipment for disabilities. Not us who want to set up the programs. And the ball is so far away from the user. It’s not possible for them to get the ball and move back to the lane by themselves. And we only have 4 staffs total to help around thirty people, so I do feel lack of staffs to help them.

How Did this Experience Connect to Class and Industry?