Perceptions of Programming Needs for Inclusive Leisure Services

Exploring Inclusion of College Students With IDD in Campus Recreation Through the Lens of Recreation Departments’ Organizational Level Stakeholders

“…Based on this literature, it is clear to see how a campus recreation department's influenced views of specialized, segregated programming as the "best" programming for students with IDD can have myriad negative outcomes. The most recent literature on inclusive recreation and leisure services in the community supports the necessity for inclusive service delivery (Dattilo et al, 2019).…”

“…Another important component of a departments' informal mission (Tierney & Lanford, 2018) includes staffs' perceptions of students with IDD. Perceptions of others are an important component of attitudes toward others, and the literature has historically demonstrated that attitudes toward individuals with disabilities can be one of the most powerful barriers to the pursuit of leisure and recreation among individuals with disabilities (Dattilo et al, 2019;Schleien et al, 1997). If students with IDD are viewed as university students instead of IPSE program students, the department would be more likely to make efforts to effectively serve and meaningfully include students with IDD within programming that exists for all university students.…”

“…Campus recreation is an important and essential part of college life for all college students. Researchers have demonstrated multiple benefits experienced by individuals with and without disabilities when meaningful, social inclusion is accomplished (Dattilo et al, 2019). Recreation and leisure provide a comfortable, engaging, and motivating environment for development of authentic and meaningful social relationships (Logan et al, 1995).…”

“…There are many misunderstandings about people with disabilities that still persist in our communities, and these misunderstandings exist more among people who have not experienced or been exposed to disability (DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, 2013). Attitudes toward individuals with disabilities can be one of the most powerful barriers to the pursuit of leisure and recreation among individuals with disabilities (Dattilo et al, 2019;Schleien et al, 1997). Labeling theorists in the world of disability (Scheff, 1966) have suggested that people who are negatively labeled will be treated based on their labels rather than their behaviors.…”

“…Even when there are good intentions behind the development and implementation of specialized, segregated programming, there are myriad negative outcomes of this type of "disability-only" programming: lowered community expectations of people with disabilities (Hutchinson, 1980); development of an overprotective and "custodial" approach to recreation and/or sports service delivery within organizations (Errickson, 1977); development of feelings of pity toward individuals with disabilities among community members (Errickson, 1977); feelings of anxiety, dependency, withdrawal, and poor self-esteem among individuals with disabilities (Carpenter, 1976); encouragement of comparison between people with and without disabilities (Brown et al, 1980); development of inappropriate labeling (Wolfensberger, 1972); and drastic decreases in normalization and increases in othering (Neufield, 1982). Recent literature on inclusive recreation and leisure services in the community supports the necessity for inclusive service delivery (Dattilo et al, 2019), rather than specialized, segregated programming.…”