Best Practices & Collaboration

1. Best Practices & Collaboration KNR 270

2. ADA • Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (PL 101-336) • Goals • Eliminate discrimination against people with disabilities • Insure access into every critical area of American life, including recreation

3. NRPA Position Statement on Inclusion, 1999 • Purpose: “Encourage all providers of park, recreation, and leisure services to provide opportunities in settings where people of all abilities can recreate and interact together.” • Beliefs: Right to leisure Quality of life Support, assistance, & accommodations Barrier removal

4. Questions • What are the benefits of inclusion • For people with disabilities? • For people without disabilities? • What are the concerns about inclusion • For people with disabilities? • For people without disabilities?

5. Lack of finances Perceived staff skill deficiencies Transportation Architectural Attitudes of staff Attitudes of public Safety concerns Participant to staff ratio inadequacies Adaptive equipment Program modification Behavior plans Barriers to Inclusion Consistently ReportedDevine & Kotowski, 1999Germ & Schleien, 1997Schleien, Germ, & McAvoy, 1996

6. Barriers • Concern that the same barriers have been identified for the last ten years • Devine & Kotowski, 1999 • How can we overcome these barriers? • Identify practices to assist with inclusion • Utilize the literature on inclusion in our practice

7. Tips for Successful Inclusion • Agency requirements • McGovern, 2001 • Adopt philosophy of inclusion • Communicate philosophy to public & employees • Open all programs to inclusion • Hire qualified staff to oversee inclusion • Train all staff • Regularly recommit to importance of inclusion

8. Tips for Successful Inclusion • Staff requirements • Smith, Austin, Kennedy, Lee, & Hutchison, 2005 • “For inclusion to be successful, recreation professionals need to adopt a positive attitude toward inclusion. Moreover, this attitude must be apparent to everyone involved in the process” (p. 136)

9. Tips for Successful Inclusion • Staff requirements • Dattilo, 2002 • Knowledge • ADA, inclusion, people with disabilities, adaptations • Positive attitudes • Inclusion, people with disabilities • “It’s the right thing to do” • Person first language • Emphasis on person & similarities

10. Tips for Successful Inclusion • Create positive leisure contexts --- physical & social inclusion • Devine, 2004 • Connect people to people • Bridge barriers between people with and without disabilities • Abilities are emphasized • Stereotypes are challenged • Commonalities are focus • Overall culture of social acceptance

11. Tips for Successful Inclusion • Leisure Context cont. • People with disabilities included in informal activities in context of program • People with disabilities included in social gatherings outside program • Aides assist all not just people with disabilities, and only when necessary • Adaptive equipment viewed as promoting independence • Looks easy but includes planning by staff

12. Tips for Successful Inclusion • Individualize Accommodations • Assessment • Individual, program, environment • Plan • Documented inclusion/support plan • Implement • Evaluate • Carter & LeConey, 2004 • Wachter & McGowan, 2002 • Sullivan & O’Brien, 2001

13. Collaboration is Vital for Successful Inclusion • Collaboration between general recreation & therapeutic recreation professionals seems to be the key and best practice for successful inclusion • Inclusion should be the shared responsibility of general recreator & TRS • The simple answer is the skills of both are needed • Klitzing, 2002

14. Therapeutic Recreation Inclusion Model(Klitzing, 2004) • TR model designed to provide direction to TRS who work with general recreation professionals in providing inclusive community recreation programs • Intervention can focus on individual or environmental change

15. Therapeutic Recreation Inclusion Model(Klitzing, 2004) • Model does not assume every person with a disability who selects an inclusive program needs TR services • Some people have the skills and ability to participate independently • Some accommodations can be made by the general recreation professional

16. Therapeutic Recreation Inclusion Model(Klitzing, 2004) Inclusive Recreation Selected TR Indirect Services TR Direct Services Participant Outcomes: Quality of Life Fun & Enjoyment Belonging in Community Self-Determination

17. Therapeutic Recreation Inclusion Model(Klitzing, 2004) • Person registers for program & notes that an accommodation is needed • OR person begins to participate in program and recreation staff identify that an accommodation is needed • Agency contacts TRS with information about request & program • TRS conducts assessment, clarifies services needed, & documents an inclusion plan

18. Therapeutic Recreation Inclusion Model(Klitzing, 2004) • Direct services by TRS may include • TRS co-leading a program with the general recreator • TRS serving as a 1-1 • TRS leads sessions • TRS teaches skills

19. Therapeutic Recreation Inclusion Model(Klitzing, 2004) • Indirect services by TRS may include • TRS serves as a consultant to program leader • TRS provides staff training • TRS conducts accessibility check • TRS hires and trains 1-1 staff • TRS hires interpreter • TRS adapts or purchases equipment • TRS designs a behavior management plan

20. Therapeutic Recreation Inclusion Model(Klitzing, 2004) • TRS prepares & shares inclusion plan with agency • Agency implements inclusion plan • TRS follows up & ongoing communicates with agency