No change in WCF attitude to powered wheelchairs

When issues concerning wheelchair curling arise at the World Curling Federation, the executive looks to their vice-President Kate Caithness, for guidance. Wheelchair curling is very much "her baby.'

To see how closely and emotionally involved she is, you have only to read the Autumn 2009 issue of Paralympian Magazine (pdf). Without her, not only would wheelchair curling not be standing on a world stage; it is doubtful that Canadian wheelchair users would be playing at all.

The CCA created a team so that Canada would be represented at the World Championships. Then BC, under Linda Moore, were determined that Ontario wheelchair curlers, who made up the original team, would not go unchallenged so CurlBC spent money to create a team. Eight years later we have eight provinces and nine provincial teams, represented at our own national championships.

So we owe Kate Caithness a debt of gratitude for pushing the sport into existence. Her latest project has been to re-examine eligibility and assessment procedures that may bring even more participation.

Which makes it all the more puzzling why the WCF stands by its recommendation that powered wheelchairs be banned from WCF sponsored competition, including World Championships and the Paralympics.

Below is an extract from my January Wheelchair Watch (Issue 4) column which outlines the issues as I see them.

Though wheelchair curling claims only a small part of the attention of the delegates to the semi-annual World Curling Federation meetings, big issues were at stake at Aberdeen last December. WCF vice-President Kate Caithness presented a paper proposing eligibility changes. She also addressed the present absence of an appeal procedure of an assessor's determination of player eligibility, either for or against.

But the meeting failed to lift the legally dubious ban on power wheelchairs in WCF competition. If evidence existed that power chairs afforded a competitive advantage, or damaged the ice surface, the WCF should (and would) have offered it. Without it the ban appears unwarranted discrimination towards a whole class of otherwise eligible disabled curlers.

Those familiar with issues of discrimination know that one should never underestimate the prevalence of blind prejudice. A senior WCF official that I spoke to directly (not Caithness) suggested that power wheelchair users should just use manual chairs instead - presumably while eating cake.
WCF officials have declined to respond to requests for the rationale behind their support for the ban, beyond saying that a decision will be made at the meeting next April in Cortina.

It may be an uphill battle to persuade delegates to that meeting to go against the recommendation of the WCF executive. Most will be unfamiliar with wheelchair curling and probably will not have given much thought to the notion that people with disabilities so significant they require use of powered wheelchairs, also deserve an opportunity to compete.

But it is an effort very much worth making, and I urge you to seek out and lobby your delegates, and raise the issue with your member associations. This ban can and should be lifted.

End the WCF ban on power wheelchairs now!

The World Curling Federation, at its semi-annual meeting taking place in Aberdeen this month during the European Championships (regular curling) has two items on the agenda directly affecting wheelchair curlers.

Agenda item 22 -  Should electric wheelchairs be allowed at World Wheelchair Curling Championships?  WCF Recommendation:  Electric wheelchairs should not be allowed at World Wheelchair Curling Championships or their qualifying events.

You can read my reasons for wanting the ban lifted in the Wheelchair Watch column in the December issue of SWEEP d-Mag.

Curlers using power chairs have more than enough obstacles to overcome without being victimised by discriminatory rules based on impressions rather than evidence. The ban will continue unless you contact your WCF representative and ask them to end the ban now.

A second proposal under consideration is to extend the eligibility for wheelchair curling beyond the present definition of "requiring a wheelchair for daily mobility" to including people with substantial (described and evaluated) disabilities who are unable to curl without the use of a wheelchair.

This proposal is part of a substantial discussion document prepared by the WCF vice-President Kate Caithness concerning classification and eligibility, as well as addressing the fact that there is no present mechanism to appeal a classification decision (in either direction).

There is no present WCF support beyond promises of further study for Michaael McCreadie's suggestion to include more severely disabled wheelchair users in a separate classification, mandating inclusion on competitive teams.

Final decisions on rule changes will be made at the WCF annual meeting in April, but delegates are meeting this month in Aberdeen to discuss what changes might be made.

Make your voice heard.

Canada adopts WCF rules, less a minute

The Canadian Curling Association will adopt the revised rules for competition adopted by the World Curling Federation in their biennial rules committee meeting this June (see previous post).

Games will be 8 ends, and the delivery zone widened. Clubs with active wheelchair curling programs or hosting national competitions will be expected to have guidelines running 18 inches either side of the centre line. These will be in addition, as reader Bruce Cameron noted, to the lines many clubs already have that run down the sheet from the edge of the 4 foot.

Canadian games will, however, be at least a minute a side shorter as each team will be allowed 67 minutes rather than the WCF's mandated 68; a decision that will amuse long time followers of the relationship between the CCA and the WCF.

New rules show wheelchair curling is growing up

 The World Curling Federation has changed the rules of competition for WCF sponsored events, moving wheelchair curling closer to the regular game. Gone is the patronising 6-end limit, and gone too will be the incessant on -ice conferences before every shot that destroyed its appeal as a spectator sport.

Games will now be 8 ends (from 6) with each team allowed 68 minutes plus one 60 second time-out. The delivery zone is also expanded by 6 inches either side of the centre line.

The new delivery zone, from a rock at delivery "touching the centre line" to being "wholly within 18 inches either side of the centre line" adds approximately 6 inches of width to each side of the centre line. Its effect is to reduce the penalty, in angle reduction, of releasing near the hogline rather than the hack. Shots delivered between the hack and the near house must still be touching centre line at delivery.

This change also moves wheelchair curling closer to the angles available to regular curlers, who although expected to release their stones "in reasonable proximity to the centre line," had a wider range of angles available at delivery.

The CCA will adopt the WCF rule on delivery zone for the coming season but as yet have not committed to lengthening games to 8 ends. Though the CCA has different player eligibility criteria, they have otherwise typically followed the WCF's lead in rule making so as not to disadvantage Team Canada when they compete internationally.

CLICK HERE for a text file extract from the WCF's Rules Of Curling, detailing rules specific to wheelchair curling.

WCF considering rule book changes

Changes to the rules governing World Curling Federation sanctioned wheelchair curling events will be discussed during meetings at the Men's Worlds in Grand Forks ND this week.

The rule that a stone must be touching the centre line at delivery, is likely to be eased to bring the wheelchair game more in line with the angles available to players who use the hack. The counter-argument, as made to me by Norway coach Thoralf Hognestad during the 2008 Worlds, is that wheelchair users unhappy with the present rule should simply move back to the hack to compensate.

The WCF intends its rules to encourage participation by people with as wide a range as possible of disabilities requiring wheelchairs for daily mobility. While remaining sceptical about the utility of a disability points classification system, there's a desire to avoid wheelchair curling becoming the sole province of the heavily muscled. This is why they will prefer to move the rock off the centre line, rather than back from the hogline. It is also why skips are unlikely to be allowed to use brushing in the rings.

There are good arguments for Canada to be flexible in implementing WCF rules in its domestic program, especially as Team Canada exists independent of national competition. The mixed gender team rule, for example, while ensuring participation of women in countries with minimal overall participation, is probably unnecessarily restrictive in Canada where the potential for hundreds of teams certainly exists. It would be a shame to see Canadian development inhibited by an insistence that 25% of participants be female, when eligible males far outnumber eligible females.

Any WCF rule changes will not be implemented until after the 2010 Paralympics.