A man and child round the corner on adaptive hockey sleds at a demonstration held by the University of New England in Biddeford and Maine Adaptive on April 24. Courtesy photo

The University of New England Department of Physical Therapy recently partnered with Maine Adaptive to hold a sled hockey demonstration at the Harold Alfond Forum in Biddeford on Sunday, April 24.

Maine Adaptive engages and empowers people with disabilities in many forms of sport, and many students in UNE’s Physical Therapy program volunteered at the event, fitting people for sleds and helping shuffle equipment.

The demonstration allowed students to hone their skills as future clinicians through a community centered learning experience.

“As physical therapists, we’ll be working with a variety of individuals with differing levels of ability, and this experience allows us to make personal connections with people and get to better know their needs,” said second-year physical therapy student Rachel Jordan. “The more experiences we can get as students, the better practitioners we’ll become, and that’s really beneficial.”