The 2024 Iowa Special Olympics Bowling Tournament was held at the Adel Family Fun Center on October 14. Just a week prior to the competition it was brought to attention that the location was not handicap accessible leaving the question if all athletes would be able to participate.
ADM Special Education Coordinator, Ann Heitz said, “Once the comment was made that one of our students wasn’t going to be able to participate in the Special Olympics because there wasn’t a ramp, I remembered it’s something we have talked about in past years but came to fruition so that’s when I decided to make it happen for this year.”
Heitz soon introduced the project to Mr. Reams, one of the high school industrial technology teachers only six days before the competition was to take place.
Reams said, “I never thought twice about helping out with this project. I was actually surprised there wasn’t any kind of ramp there to begin with. My wife works with handicapped and disabled adults so this project was closer to home than probably what it normally would be for most other teachers because of the adults I know through her work who were actually able to use and experience the ramp on that day.”
Mr. Reams completed the project to the best of his abilities, the biggest challenge being the ADA regulations the ramp needed to be compliant with. Junior Zach Heitz is also credited with taking time out of his day to deliver the ramp to the competition and making finishing touches which made the ramp more useful to the competitors.
While neither Reams or Heitz could see the ramp in use on the day of the Special Olympics Mrs. Heitz said, “I heard from parents who had students in a wheelchair competing that said they were so excited because now they are going to be able to use the bowling alley on weekends. Before her family was unable to go so it’s really affecting more than just our students and impacting those throughout our community.”
