THE CENTER for Individuals with Physical Challenges

The only known adaptive recreational facility of its kind in the country, The Center for Individuals with Physical Challenges was founded in 1957 by the Tulsa Section of the National Council of Jewish Women to provide organized social, cultural and recreational opportunities for people with physical disabilities, specifically mobility, dexterity and sensory impairments.

By 1959, a Board of Directors was formed, and The Center became a private, nonsectarian, nonprofit organization. Initially housed in the basement of Hillcrest Hospital, the first Center was built in 1967.

The Center moved into its current facility in 2005 and, in 2019, The Center opened the Hardesty Family Adaptive Sports Complex adding additional space to the already existing main building. In 2023, The Center acquired TSHA, a nonprofit organization serving the deaf and hard of hearing community throughout greater Tulsa, resulting in the launch the Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services Department.

In total, The Center offers 75,000 square feet of space, including an adaptive fitness center, two gyms, a therapeutic pool, rock-climbing wall, adaptive yoga studio, horticulture classroom and garden, art and craft studios, computer lab and indoor track serving youth and adults. The Center offers more than 85 classes and activities each month, providing opportunities for members to improve their health and wellness, cultivate their creativity, participate in quality adaptive sports activities, develop proficiency in special interest areas through recreational opportunities, engage in local community and cultural events, and enhance their opportunities for socialization. Additionally, through Deaf Services, The Center offers one-on-one peer counseling for individuals who are deaf and are managing a difficult situation, interpreter services with certified American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters for businesses and the clients they serve across the state, and outreach to raise community awareness around deaf culture and provide resources for people in the deaf and hard-of-hearing communities.

 Programs:

The Center is committed to providing adults and youth with opportunities to develop healthy lifestyles that encourage rehabilitation, creativity, independence and socialization. Programs and services offered at The Center include:

• Adaptive Recreation: Provides an outlet for creativity, fine motor skills development and cognitive functioning through leisure and social activities, including ceramics, painting, stained glass, horticulture, writing and performing arts.
• Adaptive Sports: Provides a variety of adaptive sports, including boccia, air rifle, cycling, rowing, rock climbing, goal ball, power soccer, archery, and wheelchair basketball, softball and tennis.
• Community Reintegration: Provides opportunities for members to participate in cultural and recreational activities, such as bowling, fishing, rafting, going to restaurants and visiting local sites and festivals, such as Gathering Place, Tulsa Botanic Garden, Muskogee Azalea Festival and local pumpkin festivals. Programming also includes support groups that meet at The Center.
• Deaf & Hard of Hearing Services: Provides one-on-one peer support counseling, American Sign Language interpreter services, and community resources for the deaf and hard of hearing communities.
• Rehabilitative Fitness: Assists members with improving physical strength and cognitive stamina. All programming is adaptive to meet each member’s individual needs and programming includes fitness classes, aquatics, yoga, adaptive fitness center, speech & communication, and memory & cognition.
• Transition Services: Assists members who require personal assistance with gaining the skills needed for regular membership. An individualized program is developed for each participant with one-on-one support with a Certified Recreational Therapist.
• Youth Programming: Provides summer camp, school-break camps, and after-school and home-school programming for children with physical challenges 6 years old through 16 years old.