Empower Abilities – 2019

The Cause

Vecova's idea is to provide our Empower Abilities program participants the opportunity to engage in community-based recreation activities that are not based out of Vecova’s facility. These activities will present a unique opportunity for children with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) to explore new sports and interact with the community. Activities will be chosen to help children gain the capacity, confidence and independence needed to successfully transition into community and school recreation or sports. These off-site activities, like rock climbing, canoeing and snow shoeing, require extra funding in order to cover the costs of rentals and activity instructors. With your support, Vecova will be able to provide children the opportunity to improve their skills and increase their confidence through these new and exciting activities.

Who Will it Benefit?

Children with disabilities can experience Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD), which causes individuals to experience a delay in the development of motor skills. In Calgary, approximately 6 per cent of school-aged children have a DCD diagnosis, which equates to over 12,000 Calgarians. DCD makes it difficult for children to perform daily tasks and physical exercises. Picking up sporting equipment like a hockey stick, or skating on ice are challenging, as these children may not have the balance, coordination, strength, endurance and sensory processing like a typical child would have. These skills are necessary for children to participate in community recreation and sports teams, a common way for children to get regular physical activity. Without the requisite skills and training for sports and exercise, participating in physical activities is not easy. Your support can help Vecova support children ages four to 21 with DCD to build their confidence and abilities in movement and motor play.