LANCASTER, S.C. — The Lancaster Breakfast Rotary Club has launched the program 'Pedals Possible' to provide about a dozen bikes just like this for the Lancaster County School District.
"To take this opportunity to give this population of students—special needs students--the opportunity to focus on their ability rather than their disability," Lancaster Rotary Club President Chad Catledge told WCNC Charlotte.
The unique features are built to help students improve their joint mobility, overall range of motion and core strength.
MORE NEWS: 'A Place To Call Home' | Autism Charlotte prepares to open new academy with help from the community
"This one has the grips on it. they can hold it here, here, or here it just gives them a better range of motion when they’re turning," Anita McDow, a special education teacher, said. "The biggest thing is slipping off the pedals and they don’t have that with it strapped on.”
Through a partnership with MUSC Health University Medical Center in Charleston, researchers hope to compile data reviewing the benefits of the bikes.
"Our goal is to make them as independent as possible and as strong as possible so this allows us to do that in ways that they wouldn’t have previously,” Physical Therapist Nikki Wad said.
We’re told an adaptive bike like this can cost anywhere from one thousand to four thousand dollars. But thanks to local fundraising from individuals and businesses the goal is to get more bikes to even more schools.
"We’d really like to see this program be pushed across every school district. There are more than 16,000 school districts in the United States and Lancaster will be the first and we’re excited about that," Catledge said.
Pedaling toward bigger possibilities. You can donate bicycles to the 'Pedals Possible' program by emailing pedalspossible@gmail.com.
Contact Briana Harper at bharper@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Flashpoint is a weekly in-depth look at politics in Charlotte, North Carolina, South Carolina, and beyond with host Ben Thompson. Listen to the podcast weekly.
SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts || Spotify || Stitcher || Google Podcasts
All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.