Hannah and Tania Richardson horse around on the couch of their Lakewood home like typical siblings.
A tidy little Christmas tree sits in the corner of the living room, and their mom, Shyanne, has adorned the mantel over the fireplace with holiday decorations that surround pictures of the girls.
Hannah, 11, is deaf but can hear amazingly well with her cochlear implants. Tania, 8, has a traumatic brain injury and doesn’t speak.
Both girls have participated for the past two years in a ski program at Winter Park Resort put on by the National Sports Center for the Disabled, based in Denver. The NSCD provides lift tickets, instructors and all the equipment the girls need. It is one of the agencies applying for Season to Share funding this year.
The girls will have a chance to ski again this season. Tania sits in a sled with two skis on the bottom and is tethered to an instructor who guides her down the hill. Hannah zooms along next to her on a regular set of skis.
“I think she loves it a lot, because she smiles all the time,” Hannah said of her sister. “She likes going down the slopes.”
Shyanne doesn’t ski but drives the girls to Winter Park and relaxes in the lodge. She said the skiing has helped Hannah’s balance and hand- eye coordination. For Tania, it has improved her endurance. Maybe most important, though, it’s a chance to do something lots of other kids get to do.
“To be able to have that connection with their peers . . . it builds self- confidence on and off the mountain,” said their mom. “They are having a chance just to be kids. That’s the best part.”
The NSCD started in 1970 to provide recreational activities for people with disabilities, said Scott Franssen, NSCD vice president of advancement. It offers about 20 different activities year-round, including skiing, snowshoeing, rafting, horseback riding and rock climbing.
The organization also partners with professional sports teams such as the Denver Broncos and Colorado Rockies to host camps and clinics.
Franssen said people with disabilities often have limited financial resources. NSCD funds scholarships that help cover the costs of different outdoor activities, which often serve as an important complement to people’s therapy, he said.
The NSCD has a staff of about 25 people at Winter Park and more than 800 trained volunteers who help with winter sports activities. Last year, 3,500 people participated in NSCD programs.
Eighty percent of NSCD’s funding comes from donations from foundations, corporate support, individual donors or special-event fundraisers. Twenty percent comes from participant fees, Franssen said.
He said 500,000 people in Colorado have disabilities.
“There is definitely a need for services,” he said.
Steve McMillan: 303-954-1695 or smcmillan@denverpost.com
National Sports Center for the Disabled
Address: 1801 Mile High Stadium Circle, Suite 1500, Denver 80204
In operation since: 1970
Number served last year: 3,500
Staff: 35
Yearly budget: $4.1 million
Percentage of funds directly given to clients and services: 85
