"Bike-Ability Blast" for Special-Needs Children to Be Held April 25

Jacksonville, Florida, April 12, 2007 -- Wolfson Children's Rehabilitation Services is sponsoring its first "Bike-Ability Blast, an adapted bicycle rally that will allow children with special needs such as cerebral palsy, spina bifida, developmental delays and other physical limitations to actually test-ride adapted bicycles. The event, which will be annual, will be held from 2 to 6 pm on Wednesday, April 25, 2007 at the Drew Bradbury Center, located in the Aetna Building, 841 Prudential Drive, Suite 140.

Adapted bicycles are available for all ages and all disabilities and include such features as high back and head supports; straps to secure feet; arm pedals for those who can't pedal with their legs; a device that allows shoulder steering, head control support, parent steering and braking controls; and more. The bikes can also be adapted to the child's size as he or she grows.

"These bikes let kids with disabilities do something normal," says Elisabeth Federico, PT, a physical therapist at Wolfson Rehab and the Bike-Ability Blast coordinator.

While helpful for special needs children, the specialized bikes are expensive, costing up to $3,000. Insurance companies don't pay for these bikes, so the Bike-Ability Blast gives parents and children an opportunity to examine and test-drive an adapted bicycle before buying one. Information for funding resources will also be available to parents.

The Bike-Ability Blast is also a chance for business or private sponsors to provide funding for bicycles for children who might not otherwise be able to afford one.

Safe Kids Northeast Florida/Wolfson Children's Hospital will provide free helmets and giveaways for children attending the event, and information on bicycle safety will be provided. Adapted bicycle vendors, including Freedom Concepts, Reha Partners, Triaid, Tri-Lo and others, will have their bikes on display.

For more information about the Bike-Ability Blast or how you or your business can help to fund an adapted bicycle for a child, call Wolfson Rehab at 904.346.0394. For more information about Wolfson Rehab, visit www.wchjax.com/rehab.