The Heartland Arcade at Orange Grove Center will open its doors on Friday. Funded by the Heartland Ranch, the arcade will provide interactive kinetic video and arcade gaming opportunities for individuals with intellectual and developmental opportunities, as well as modified games to allow those with limited mobility to play or to allow access by individuals in wheelchairs.
Through a collaboration with the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga’s Department of Health Promotion and Human Performance and Orange Grove Center’s Department of Health Promotion and Recreation, individuals participating in the Heartland Arcade will engage in research related to the benefits of video/arcade interface. The goals and interest areas that will constitute the research agenda will include the following points:
• Social engagement and participation in individuals with autism through team play
• Improvement in eye-hand coordination, fist clench strength, focus and gaze
• Introduction of the upright erect position for individuals with cerebral palsy who are wheelchair based
• Balance for those with high fall risk
• Influence of self choice on game selection for individuals with sensory processing disorder
• Using "favorite games" as reward to manage challenging maladaptive behaviors.
“This arcade will be beneficial to everyone involved, as it will serve as a creative outlet for the participants, and a fantastic research arena for UTC,” said Rick Rader, MD, director of the Morton J. Kent Habilitation Center. “We are extremely thankful for the support of Heartland Ranch in making this possible and look forward to the opening later this week.”
The Arcade at Orange Grove Center’s grand opening will be this Friday, from 10:30-11:30 a.m. at the Isidore Tyber Building, 2325 Shady Lane. For more information, please call 423 308-1160.