Another city budget, another crisis, another standoff with employee unions over pensions and givebacks. Sacramento’s budget crisis is a predictable story, and just as predictable is that when a city has to make cuts, the first ones to feel the pain are those without power or the money to hire lobbyists. People like Brittany Willeford, the mentally disabled 22-year-old woman the Sacramento Press covered earlier this month when she had the courage to address City Council about pending cuts to Access Leisure, a city program that provides social and recreational activities that more than 3,000 disabled young adults in Sacramento have come to rely on. The amount of money in question to save p

When Brittany Willeford and more than 30 others appeared at City Hall last week to protest budget cuts to programs for disabled teens, they got the attention of Mayor Kevin Johnson and council members who hope the programs can be saved. “We have to find a way and be creative,” Johnson said at a press conference Tuesday. “If there’s a way we can resurrect it, that’d be awesome for everybody.” At stake are recreation and social programs that serve approximately 3,000 disabled teens and young adults each year through Access Leisure. The current program budget is $146,000, and that’s being cut from the 2012-13 budget, Program Director Annie Desalerno said Wednesday. “I didn’t know a whole l

With her dark brown hair bobbing at her shoulders as she walked, 22-year-old Brittnay Willeford stepped up to the podium at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, pushed her heavy-rimmed glasses up a bit, and began to read to the council a letter her grandmother needed to help her write. Despite a reading level that barely tops fourth grade, Willeford came to City Council to talk about some of the things she enjoys most: bowling, skiing and racing down the zipline at Camp Grizzly Beach – activities she will miss out on if the city follows through with plans to cut funding to Access Leisure, a program offered through the Parks and Recreation department that provides sports, camping, social and fi

Some 50 disabled veterans came out to the Samuel C. Pannell Community Center in Meadowview Thursday morning to play wheelchair softball on the center’s rubberized field, throw javelins across the grass and scuba dive in the center’s heated pool. This athletic gathering followed a press conference announcing that the Department of Veterans Affairs, in partnership with the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), has selected Sacramento's Access Leisure as the recipient of a $150,000 grant for the second year in a row. Mayor Kevin Johnson, Congresswoman Doris Matsui, Congressman Dan Lungren and Congressman Tom McClintock were in attendance along with Paralympians and Army veterans Craig Vog

50 wounded, ill and injured military Veterans, representatives from Veterans groups and the United States Olympic Committee, along with city and state leaders, gathered to announce and celebrate that Sacramento won a $150,000 grant from the U.S. Olympic Committee. The grant will provide strong support allowing disabled, ill and blind veterans to keep active in sports events. The event included activities at River Cats Independence Field, located at the Sam Pannell Meadowview Community Center: The City of Sacramento, Access Leisure, through their Parlaympic Sport Sacramento Club program is a formal partner with the United States Olympic Committee's Paralympic Division.  The US Paralympic

150 soldiers were introduced to sports designed specifically for individuals with disabilities, illnesses and injuries recently during a Thank You For Your Service event at the River Cats Independence Field. Brave soldiers who sustained disabilities while serving this nation and are now working to return to active duty or transition to civilian life will be introduced to sports and recreational opportunities specifically designed for individuals with disabilities.  It featured demonstrations and hands-on experience of U.S.Paralympics-sanctioned sports, including Basketball, Cycling, Swimming, Javelin, Shot-put, wheelchair softball, rock climbing and Discus. Mark Wellman of Truck

This past weekend, Access Leisure hosted the 2010 Sacramento Paralympic Experience in conjunction with U.S. Paralympics, a division of the U.S. Olympic Committee. The event was held California State University. It introduced students with physical disabilities, ages 12-18, to Paralympic sports. In addition to hands-on participation in Track and Field, Goalball, Wheelchair Basketball and Handcycling, the students interacted with Paralympic athletes and coaches. They strive to be able to compete in the 25th Annual A.C.T. Games this spring. Sarah Blincoe races in a time-trial in her walker.   Jai Cadwell does a running time-trial holding on to a person's arm. Solomon Tyson exerts him