Inclusive Leisure Services: Results of a National Survey of Park and Recreation Departments

While park and recreation agencies are legally mandated to provide services to people with disabilities, relatively little is known about tl1e accommodations public park and recreation agencies use or ilie problems encountered when providing such services. This 1996-97 study of public park and recreation agencies identifies accommodations used and barriers encountered in providing inclusive leisure services. In addition, this study specifies training needs as identified by tl1e respondents. The study was undertal,en by tl1e American Park and Recreation Society (APRS)/National Therapeutic Recreation Society (NTRS) Joint Committee on Inclusion. In addition to gaining a comprehensive view of tl1e current stan1s of inclusion, ilie Committee intends to use the information to develop training programs and materials to assist public park and recreation agencies in providing inclusive leisure services. The two most frequently identified options for leisure participation by people witl1 disabilities are inclusion programs and a combination of separate programs for people witl1 disabilities and inclusion programs. The major problems of implementing inclusive leisure programs are lack of financial resources and constraints on staff, including lack of accessible participant transportation, adaptive equipment, appropriate program placement, accessible facilities, and resistance to inclusion by community members witl10ut disabilities. Alack of staff training is also a limitation. The repeated identification of similar barriers by park and recreation agencies suggests that agencies may be unaware ot~ or failing to use, recommended inclusion practices. Accommodations provided include pool lifts, reallocation of classes to accessible facilities, adapted equipment, sign language interpreters, braille, and cassette tape or large print materials and are in large part funded through operating budgets. Registration fees, grants and foundations, and special fund-raising are also used to fund accommodations. The most ti·equently identified training needs are disability awareness and sensitivity toward people with disabilities. This finding suggests a possible willingness on tl1e part of staff to include people with disabilities. However, staff appear to lack knowledge and skills to include people with disabilities in programs, including lacking an understanding of their social and emotional needs. Also noted as staff training needs are successfi!l program modification strategies tor implementing and administering inclusive leisure programs, behavior modification strategies, and updates on state and federal regulations.