CSUN: STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY/EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM
FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES
Day Phone: 818-677-5710
Fax: 818-677-3246
Email:
belinda.stillwell@csun.edu
Presenter #2
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge CA 91330-8287
Day Phone: 818-677-2182
Fax: 818-677-3246
Email: loren.ward@csun.edu
Presenter #3
Nicole Cavalino
California State University, Northridge
18111 Nordhoff Street
Northridge, CA 91330-8287
818-677-2182
818-677-3246
Email: nicole.cavalino@csun.edu
This lecture presents CSUN's Center of Achievement which houses a
state-of-the-art aquatic and land-based exercise program for individuals with
disabilities.
The
The land-based program is comprised of two large exercise rooms. One room
contains eight treatment tables for flexibility and manual resistance
exercises, three standing tilt tables, several core strengthening stations and
a fine motor skills table. The second room (the machine-based room) has a
variety of specially-designed weight and strength machines that encourage
isometric, isotonic and isokinetic muscle activity. Other pieces include
standing frames, easy gliders, arm bikes, stationary bikes, elliptical
trainers, treadmills with suspension harnesses, sky-walkers, kinetrons,
flexacisers, nu-steps, a cross-crawl brain patterning machine, Biodex balance
station, trampolines, free weights, portable hallway gait trainer with
suspension harness and traditional parallel bars. Adjacent to the machine-based
room are the assessment room and adapted physical activity research laboratory.
Digital and video cameras are also available to record exercise movements,
balance and locomotor patterns.
The remaining space in the Center consists of five private dressing rooms,
two public locker rooms, two children’s changing and restroom areas, staff
locker rooms and restroom, a spacious lobby with a coffee and tea bar, pool
observation room, conference room, faculty and staff offices, mechanical rooms
and laundry room. Additionally, the flexibility and manual exercise rooms, conference
room and lobby contain projection and sound systems for presentation purposes
as well as sound systems in each pool area.
Rather than a traditional medical approach, the Center focuses on an
educational model that emphasizes faculty and students working together in a
scholarly environment to learn about and work with individuals with
disabilities in a movement setting. Courses are available at both the
undergraduate and graduate level that contain such topics as therapeutic
exercise principles for land and water, equipment use, assessment, evaluation,
program design and adapted physical activity in sport and community settings.
Community workshop offerings include adapted Tai Chi (land), aquatics for
individuals affected by arthritis and multiple sclerosis, deep water exercise
and aquatic therapeutic exercise for children. Most academic courses have a
laboratory component assigned to them which allows students an opportunity to
work directly with individuals and groups with disabilities. Others become
involved as group exercise instructors for the community workshop times.
The Center is a place where state-of-the-art facility technology and
academics come together to provide a mutual opportunity for students to learn
and recipients of our programs to optimize their quality of life in a caring
and social atmosphere. Through the use of our three specialized treatment pools
and spa, cutting-edge aquatic equipment and extensive land-based exercise
rooms, the Center is able to provide highly individualized and group exercise
programs to CSUN students with disabilities and community members. The Center
looks forward to a bright future as the academic curriculum and community
programs continue to grow with excellence.