DiveSTARS Teaches Scuba Diving To Disabled

For those who have a spinal cord injury, use a wheelchair, or have a developmental disability, things on land can be challenging; but an organization based in Kankakee, Illinois in the US is offering local disabled people a sense of freedom through adaptive diving.

“Our whole goal is to work with adaptive divers, whether they have some mental or physical challenges,” says nonprofit organisation DiveSTARS Founder Mike Milosovic.

Milosovic says DiveSTARS train people with all sorts of disabilities to become scuba divers. “We can work with quadriplegics, we can work with amputees, with people who have down syndrome.”

It’s a Sunday morning at Haigh Quarry in Kankakee and divers are making a splash as they train to learn new skills. 20-year-old Rikki Kirsch is considered mildly mentally impaired and struggles with her speech, but today she is training to become a certified scuba diver with DiveSTARS.

Kirsch works with her dive buddy Michelle Vrtis. After a quick buddy check she’s ready to go.

“When you’re underwater, everything goes away. The pain goes away and you forget about everything on land,” said Vrtis.

Kirsch has been training since June, and Vrtis says scuba has made all the difference.

“She has enjoyed it and she’s blossomed so much doing this. I love seeing things through her eyes.”

Rikki’s mother Chris watches from shore. She says it’s emotional as she sees her daughter’s disability on land turn into ability in the water.

“She’s a totally different person. It brings tears to my eyes every time,” says Chris.

For Rikki, learning to dive has given her confidence and a sense of purpose.

“It gives me confidence. I like it,” she says.

Milosovic says adaptive diving for the disabled offers them a new sense of freedom.

“It gives them a sense of self accomplishment that not a lot of people end up having.”

Rikki’s mom would agree.

“It’s the moment we had hoped to happen and now it has,” Chris says.

DiveSTARS is a non profit organization. To find out more about them, visit dive-stars.org.

Source: chicago.cbslocal.com