Quote:
|
Originally Posted by BretMan
Is a wheel chair a "cast", "splint", "brace" or "protheses" that is "worn"?
The way I'm reading this is that those devices are subject to some umpire discretion. Wheel chairs are not, by the guidelines of rule 4-2 and R/S #55.
I'm not trying to be silly, but sometimes when a Federal mandate butts heads with common sense, you wind up with a big heaping pile of "silly"!  |
No, it is not "worn" but it is "used". Note this sentence in the rule: "Any decision by the umpire should be based on whether or not a device worn
or used by an individual with a disability changes the fundamental nature of the game or poses a significant risk to the safety of other players."
There is nothing special about a wheelchair among the other devices used by people with disabilities, except that it is large and relatively immobile (compared, for example, with a cast or prosthesis). And, there are a huge variety of wheelchair designs, some specifically designed for athletes to use.
Saying that wheelchairs MUST be allowed is as silly as saying they WILL NOT be allowed. The umpire judgment on safety and changing the nature of the game is the deciding factor in each situation.