Carer praises accessible Lanarkshire rink for helping disabled man 'come to life' on ice

dailyrecord.co.uk:

East Kilbride Ice Rink is leading the way in making sport accessible to all - regardless of age or ability.The rink, run by South Lanarkshire Leisure and Culture (SLLC), frequently welcomes people from all walks of life to its open skating sessions including the local Seniors Together group, and those with varying access needs.Among them is 36-year-old Steven Duffy and his care worker Graeme Ashwood who are regulars on the ice most Fridays.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android Steven, from Greenhills, was born with cognitive brain issues and can find participation difficult due to limited communication skills and reduced mobility.However, according to care worker Graeme, the former Greenburn and Sanderson pupil "comes to life" on the ice.He told Lanarkshire Live: "I’m always looking for new activities for Steven and me to try, and work hard to do that in a person-centred way. "That means that everything we do is based on Steven's choices - a key factor in developing his independence as much as possible."We had used the gym in the centre and Steven was keen to try the ice rink on a visit one day. "Thankfully, I am a confident skater, which you need to be to handle the chair in the ice, so we decided to see how we would get on.