Inclusive Recreation for Youth: Demonstration Research Project in Kalamazoo Community

Year Awarded: 2001
Project Leaders:
Esther Onaga, MSU Department of Family and Child Ecology; Rick Paulsen, MSU Department of Park, Recreation and Tourism, Resources; and Stephen Youngblood, City of Kalamazoo Parks and Recreation Department

Project Description:
MSU researchers and the City of Kalamazoo have teamed up in an effort to ensure that people with disabilities become full citizens who are included in their communities. Inclusive Recreation for Youth has furthered research on inclusion of special education youth in their communities. The project has brought families, schools, government agencies and businesses together to promote inclusive family recreation with disabled and non-disabled youth. Project leaders are evaluating the programs and studying the impact of inclusive recreation on youth, families and communities.

Photos courtesy of MSU Extension Berrien County

Recent Developments:

Recreation Programs Integrate Disabled Youth
With help from FACT, the Inclusive Recreation for Youth project is bringing Kalamazoo families together. Local schools, businesses, and the parks department have combined efforts to offer leisure activities that promote family recreation and encourage participation from both disabled and non-disabled middle school youth.

Studies have shown that recreation and informal leisure activities are important mechanisms through which youth socialize and become engaged citizens. However, since most disabled youth partake in recreation with other disabled individuals, their chance to socialize with non-disabled peers is limited.

With this in mind, MSU faculty members Esther Onaga of the Department of Family and Child Ecology, and Rick Paulsen of the Department of Park, Recreation, and Tourism Resources, began a collaboration with Stephen Youngblood from the City of Kalamazoo Parks and Recreation Department to establish recreation programs for disabled and non-disabled children. Project leaders believe inclusive recreation will help disabled youth become more visible, integrated and active community members.

Teachers recruited 81 youth with disabilities and 122 youth without disabilities to participate in six sessions of archery, bowling, golf or horseback riding. All parents were encouraged to attend a session and adults enrolled with their student for archery and horseback riding. According to project leaders, both students with and without disabilities had little to say about the presence of the other, but it was clear is that they were excited about participating in the activity together.

Though project activities ended in September 2002, the experience sparked student and parent interest. Both groups now seek to include each other in recreation activities and leagues will allow interested youth to continue participating.

"Private recreational providers acknowledged the importance of families when they observed how parents return youth to their establishments to purchase equipment and use the facilities," said Onaga. "They now welcome this type of programming."

Qualitative data suggest that strong partnerships, family support, and recreation program leaders will be keys to starting and maintaining subsequent successful inclusive recreation programs.

"Involving families has proven to be a good method for sustaining the activity for youth who are interested in continuing with a program," said Onaga.

One father explained, "I don't have many opportunities to spend time with my children, as they live with their mother. My son and I enjoy archery and I would like to have this continue. Maybe I could get my daughter to join us."

Project leaders are now studying data on the impact of inclusive recreation and are seeking a grant from the US Department of Education to fund their efforts. They hope to add new insights to literature and best practices in this area. In December, project leaders presented a workshop entitled The Family's Role in Creating Innovative Partnerships for Sustaining Inclusive Recreation at the national conference of The Association for the Severely Handicapped (TASH). In addition, two articles on the project are being written and will be submitted to journals in the coming months.