A survey on outdoor recreation (http://atfiles.org/files/pdf/OutdoorNextGen.pdf) identified the need to provide “gateway opportunities” to inspire and grow future generations of future outdoor enthusiasts. A gateway activity encourages participation in other activities which leads to active lifestyles.
A question is what are the “gateway recreation opportunities” for people with disabilities, seniors and other marginalized groups? Are they the same as the general population? I think this concept could have tremendous to how children with disabilities are taught in schools and the focus therapeutic recreation should have. The statistics also show a great dropoff in participation over someone’s lifespan (from 79% between the ages of 6 and 12 down to 34% by the time someone is 65). Considering demographics and the fact that people with disabilities already have much lower participation rates in outdoor activities, the opportunities to address this gap are incredible. Any solution, however, has to consider a strategic approach that considers environments such as:
- Formal and informal situations
- Schools
- Parks
- Recreation
- Rehabilitation
- Other???
If bicycling, fishing, hiking, camping, and running/jogging represent the gateway activities for the general population, where does that leave people with disabilities?
mike exercise, healthy living, inclusive programs
In my recent research I stumbled across this article from 2004:
The vast majority of Americans with disabilities are not obtaining the recommended amount of physical activity needed to confer health benefits and prevent secondary conditions associated with a sedentary lifestyle (e.g., heart disease, obesity, osteoporosis). The risk to this population from secondary conditions associated with inactivity is particularly acute, as persons with disabilities are far more likely to have significantly lower levels of overall activity. The current version of the Healthy People 2010 report notes that significantly more people with disabilities reported having no leisure-time physical activity, 56% vs. 36%, compared to people who did not indicate they had any disability.
The HP 2010 Chapter 6, Disability and Secondary Conditions, suggests that the significantly lower rate of participation among people with disabilities may be
related to environmental barriers, including architectural barriers, organizational policies and practices, discrimination, and social attitudes, and recommends that
public health agencies begin to evaluate which environmental factors enhance or impede participation..
This article, Development and validation of AIMFREE: Accessibility Instruments Measuring Fitness and Recreation Environments from Disability and Rehabilitation, 2004; Vol. 26, No. 18, 1087–1095 highlights the challenge faced by schools, recreation centres, governments and private industry to better meet the needs of people with disabilities sooner, rather than later. Considering the focus on infrastructure during this economic downturn, improving facilities and programs for people with disabilities and seniors would seem to provide short, medium and long term benefits to society.
mike accessibility, healthy living, recreation healthy living, recreation