1. Accessible Recreation: Creating a Culture of Inclusion
Introduce myself
Passion for recreation and the value it brings to our lives
OT perspective
Cynthia White, MSc OT (OT Reg, Ont.)
Director of Community Services
Town of Fort Smith

2. Objectives Set the stage Creating a culture Put it into action
We are going to set the stage, get comfortable with some terms
We are going to talk about the culture of inclusion that we want to create
We are going to play around with creating spaces which are inclusive and accessible
Ball game – get people to adapt activities for various disabilities

3. What is Recreation?

4. What is Recreation?
Recreation is the experience that results from freely chosen participation in physical, social, intellectual, creative and spiritual pursuits that enhance individual and community well-being.
This is the definition found in the Framework for Recreation in Canada, which is our guiding document in the recreation sector
Let’s unpack some of the concepts embedded in this definition

5. Freely Chosen = Meaningful
For there to be health benefits there is a need for both satisfaction and individually determined balance
Balance between challenge in the activity and the skills of the individual
Feeling of choice or control
Supportive environment to facilitate easy attention to the task
A focus on the task and not the long term consequences
A sense of mastery
This is an interesting concept, especially when we are talking about recreation in an institutional setting
From the OT literature I would liken this to the idea of meaningful, especially when we consider that the recreation experience is meant to enhance personal and community well-being
In OT we call this the just right challenge

6. Well-being
The presence of the highest possible quality of life in its full breadth of expression, focused on but not necessarily exclusive to: good living standards, robust health, a sustainable environment, vital communities, an educated populace, balanced time use, high levels of democratic participation, and access to and participation in recreation and culture.
What does well-being mean to you?
Here is a definition of well-being

7. Participation The act of joining with others in doing something
To take part in or become involved in an activity
The state of sharing in common with others
The act or state of receiving or having part of something
What does participation mean to you?

8. Why do people participate in recreation?
Fun
Enjoyment
Fitness and health
Social interaction
Creative expression
A desire to connect with nature
Relaxation
Enhance quality of life
Why do you think people participate in recreation?
Participation enhances quality of life but evidence also exists that lack of participation or occupational deprivation least to poor health and well-being

9. Inclusion and Access
Goal 2 of the Framework for Recreation in Canada 2015 INCREASE INCLUSION AND ACCESS TO RECREATION FOR POPULATIONS THAT FACE CONSTRAINTS TO PARTICIPATION

10. Who are these people?
Who are the people we need to consider when we are talking about inclusion and accessibility?

11. What are the barriers to recreation?
Think about the different kinds of barriers people of all ages might face when accessing recreation

12. Physical Barriers
This is the bathroom in the changeroom at my recreation centre – the accessible washroom is at the end on the right
Think about your facilities and communities and physical barriers people face – get the group to brainstorm, provide specific examples
When we think about accessibility, the physical environment is often what we think of first
Disability theory positions the disability in the environment – this means that the environment is what causes the disability, not any factor intrinsic to the individual

13. Social Barriers
So we often forget about the social barriers to participation or our personal attitudes about disability and participation
Let’s think about those things together

14. Cultural Shift
How do we create a culture of inclusion and accessibility

15. Or do we really mean…?

19. https://youtu.be/0bZ51jzmbAQ

21. Scenarios
A group of older women who have been doing your EIM class want to try an aquafit class. One has poor balance in standing and one has expressed that she does not swim.
A family wants to be able to participate in a family fun day at the recreation centre. These days typically include a range of low organizational games, things such as tag and relay races. One of their children is on the autism spectrum

22. Scenarios Con’t
3. A grandmother and her grandchild want to take a knitting class together. The grandmother was an avid knitter when she was younger but is unable to teach her grandchild because she is experiencing arthritis in her hands and decreased visual acuity.
4. An 11 year old with Cerebral Palsy who uses a forearm crutch due to hemiplegia, which affects his mobility and balance wants to play on the community soccer team which will be travelling to Yellowknife for Super Soccer.

23. Scenarios Con’t
5. An elder with early signs of dementia would like to continue being able to participate in the fishing derby. He has typically ridden out on his snowmobile to the lake. He wants to attend again this year. 6. A young girl on the team you are coaching is having trouble following the instructions and is at times disruptive to the group. She seems to be unable to follow the rules from one practice to the next.