Extended Services
"Schwab care goes beyond physical and emotional health. For many of our patients this may mean facing a new life in which they’ll have to choose something other than physical work."
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Handcycling Program S.P.I.N.
S.P.I.N. (Schwab's Program for Innovative and Non-competitive cycling) is the only organized handcycling program in Northern Illinois. It is more than just a physical recreational activity for our patients and people with disabilities
in Chicago. While one of the purposes of the program is to promote health through handcycling, S.P.I.N. also provides our riders with a sense of community. S.P.I.N. was designed for people with a variety of disabling injuries including
spinal cord injury, brain injury, amputation, and stroke. Often times individuals wtih disabilities are unable to ride a foot-powered bicycle, and handcycling gives them a new recreational and social opportunity. Handcycling gives our
riders a sense of freedom and mobility that they never thought was possible. We have found that participation in handcycling leads to greater levels of independence for the participants in other areas of their lives. S.P.I.N. participants
take part in informal rides around their neighborhoods, organized bike rides, and events in Chicago like the Disability Pride Parade and Schwab's Kids Camp. S.P.I.N. is offered at no cost to participants through the financial support of
our community partners.
HANDCYCLING AT SCHWAB
Schwab’s Handcycling Program, S.P.I.N.. (Schwab’s Program for Innovative Non-Competitive Cycling), offers adaptive recreational opportunities to individuals with mobility
impairments throughout Chicago. Schwab is home to the first and only formal handcycling program in Chicago S.P.I.N. is non-competitive, free of charge, and provides a social outlet for amateur and experienced handcyclists. This program is
offered over 8 months, from March to October, with various rides offered throughout this time period. These rides include both organized rides, and informal rides around Chicago neighborhoods. S.P.I.N. is supported by volunteer staff from
Schwab and Chicagoland’s cycling community.
Spin’s handcyclists participate in events to raise disability awareness among individuals with disabilities and among the able-bodied population. Such events include
Mayor Daley’s Winter Sports Festival, where over 200 able-bodied kids ride the handcycles each year, the
Disability Pride Parade, the Mexican Independence Day Parade, Bike the Drive, Chicago’s Boulevard Ride, and the
Evanston Bike Club North Shore Century Ride.
Funding Sources:
Chicagoland Bicycle Federation
SRAM http://www.sram.com/en/
Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital
Partner Agencies:
Adaptive Adventures www.adaptiveadventures.org
Chicago Park District http://www.chicagoparkdistrict.com/
Chicagoland Bicycle Federation http://www.biketraffic.org/
The Evanston Bicycle Club http://www.evanstonbikeclub.org/
Contact information:
Handcycle Program
Schwab Rehabilitation Hospital
1401 S. California Blvd.
Chicago, IL. 60608
P: (773) 522-5885
F: (773) 522-6650
E: extendedservices@sinai.org
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