BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Bakersfield took a significant step toward inclusivity Saturday as the Dignity Health Sports Complex hosted the inaugural Kern Adaptive Sports Fair, bringing together resources and raising awareness for adaptive athletics in the community.
The event, organized by Bakersfield Prosthetics and Orthotics Center and Leadership Bakersfield, featured demonstrations of wheelchair basketball, para fencing, prosthetic trial runs, and other adaptive sports designed for people with physical disabilities.
Radha Amrutia, owner of Bakersfield Prosthetics and Orthotics Center, spearheaded the initiative after recognizing a gap in accessibility for her patients seeking mobility solutions and recreational outlets.
"There's a lot more interest I feel in adaptive sports, and accessibility is still not there, as I've learned about this industry a little bit more, which is really in line with what I already do at our facility, treating patients for orthotics and prosthetic services," Amrutia said. "This is a little bit different, where we're looking at products and equipment that are not covered by insurance and not very easily accessible. So I felt like I'm in a position to be able to bring the community, get together, [orthotics and prosthetics] field here, network, and bring something new to our community that hasn't been done."
The fair aimed to demonstrate that adaptive sports benefit not only individuals with disabilities but the entire community by fostering greater understanding and inclusion.
According to Amrutia, this marks the first event of its kind in Kern County. She expressed hopes to expand the fair significantly by 2026 while working to improve overall accessibility to adaptive sports in the region.
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