Josh Sloan doesn’t take anything for granted. He focuses on what he can do, not what he can’t do. He is an active sports participant, and he rarely sits on the sidelines unless he is encouraging someone else. He played football growing up and broadened his sporting activities to include mountain biking and snowboarding when he lived in Colorado. He is just as active today as he was six years ago, even after a spinal cord injury left him paralyzed from the armpits down.
“I was involved in a bus accident in Ecuador where I was an English teacher,” Sloan said. “But I don’t like to talk about the accident. I’d rather talk about what I’m doing today.”
Sloan, a Chester resident, is the Volunteer and Outreach Coordinator for Sportable, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit in Richmond dedicated to providing adaptive sport and recreation opportunities, events, and competitions to individuals with visual impairments and those with physical disabilities. He started with the nonprofit as a sports participant and ambassador, joining the staff in 2017.
“Our coordinator at the time, Cat Anthony, asked me if I would go with her to events where she recruited athletes and met with potential volunteer groups and sponsors,” Sloan said. He enjoyed telling people how important adaptive sports have been to him in his journey to recovery and how he hoped everyone would have the opportunity to participate in sports, even those with physical disabilities. Sloan moved from a volunteer, to a part-time employee and eventually to the full-time coordinator position when Anthony moved to another position.
“When I discovered she was leaving, I submitted my resume and convinced the leadership that I was the best applicant,” he said. “I could speak from the unique perspective of being in the wheelchair, and not just what I assumed it was like.”
One of Sloan’s favorite parts of the job includes professional development for businesses. These events educate personnel on how to accommodate employees, clients, and customers who are wheelchair users. He often uses a “lunch and learn” format.
“It isn’t just about addressing the physical aspects,” he said. These initiatives also educate employees and administrators about appropriate language to use in the workplace, for instance, using the term “wheelchair user” instead of a person “confined to a wheelchair” or “wheelchair bound.”
Even with a busy work schedule, Sloan still finds time to participate in the sports program at Sportable. “I am doing indoor rowing and rugby right now. I participate in our cycling and kayaking programs during the warmer months.” Josh Burch and Josh Smith, also Chester residents, play on Sloan’s rugby team. Sportable provides individuals with physical disabilities or visual impairments access to 13 different sports.
“We are a premier training center for individuals who want to compete in Paralympic sports,” he said. “We work directly with the Olympic and Paralympic sports committees.” Sportable fosters a fun, inclusive, competitive environment to transform lives. It is their goal to help individuals see beyond the limitations of their disability. Sportable also foster a sense of community by building friendships among the athletes.
Sloan feels that it is important to continue to do what you like to do even if you are faced with what may seem like an insurmountable obstacle. “When I was 18, I lost my dad and a good friend the same year. I learned then to accept the cards you are dealt. Once you process the loss, you move on,” he said. The same can be said for his physical disability. “You find a new normal.” There are a lot of misconceptions about disabilities. There are people all around us who have gone through trauma. As a result, some choose to sit all day and some even choose not to get out of bed. You can’t see what their challenge is. “The difference is you can see mine,” Sloan said.
Sloan has chosen not to let his disability keep him from doing the things he loves. He just does them differently now, with accessibility equipment from Sportable.
