A new program on campus called SPIN will focus on events for physically-disabled students and promote community awareness of physical disabilities.

“SPIN is a student organization committed to the social and recreational interests of members of the NIU community with mobility impairments,” said founder and president Lisa Gagliano, a physical rehabilitation graduate student. “Through sports and activities, we hope to build on disability awareness and pride.”

Anyone interested in the program can help, Gagliano said. Current members include those who use wheelchairs, people who use adaptive devices and those without any disabilities.

“Programs like SPIN provide an important opportunity for students with mobility impairments to offer each other peer support,” said communicative disorders professor Greg Long. “These programs can also be important vehicles for advocacy.”

The program has temporary recognition from the Student Association and is awaiting full recognition. When it is fully recognized, it can receive regular funding from the university.

“Basically it’s an organization that is interested in mobility impairments, most having to do with spinal cord injuries,” said John Wett, SPIN vice president. “We’re looking forward to meeting any new members or just anyone who wants to learn about these disabilities.”

SPIN is planning activities which include adaptive hand-cycling and kayaking, wheelchair basketball and the showing of the documentary “Murderball,” which chronicles a team of quadriplegic athletes who play full-contact rugby in wheelchairs.

“We’re working with other adaptive sports organizations like the Rockford Chariots, a wheelchair basketball team which competes in Division II of the National Wheelchair Basketball Association,” Gagliano said. “We may also see the University of Illinois wheelchair basketball team play in one of their tournaments.”

SPIN also has planned a film night to show “The Brooke Ellison Story,” the last film Christopher Reeve directed. The film night will take place Oct. 6, but the time and place are yet to be determined.

“We have also planned out a time for us to go play Power Soccer at the Rockford Park District, which is an adapted form of soccer played in chairs,” Gagliano said. “And we have planned for Joel Berman coming to give a talk.”

Berman is an amputee who participates in extreme sports and represents the organization Adaptive Adventures. The organization supports activities for the disabled such as kayaking, hand-cycling, mono-skiing and wakeboarding. The date for his speech is tentatively set for Oct. 25.

Gagliano said SPIN is forming a team to participate in the fifth annual Wheel-A-Thon on Saturday, sponsored by RAMP of DeKalb.

“This is an event to help raise awareness and support for people with physical disabilities in DeKalb County,” she said. “This should be a fun event.”

Participants of Wheel-A-Thon form teams and race in a 45-minute course.

One of the main goals for the program is to increase community awareness and acceptance of those with physical disabilities. The Wheel-A-Thon event is designed to do both.

“I fully support their activities,” Long said. “NIU, like most college campuses, can always use more disability-related activities and awareness.”

The SPIN program has meetings every Wednesday at 7 p.m. in Neptune Central, where it gathers and discusses events it would like to sponsor and participate in.