Paradigms In Special And Inclusive Recreation

Much of the outdoor recreation industry is dominated by the common thought that recreational needs are easily achieved. Recreational programs do not set out to make people feel excluded, but I think that is what happens in most cases with special populations. If the program is not specifically designed to be inclusive, many individuals may feel that it is not the right activity to participate in. Many things need to be considered for the program to be accessible to the majority of the population. Financial needs, of the program and the participant, as well as accessibility, skills needed and social interaction are all various aspects of programs that need to be considered when programming. Recreational professionals are attempting to make the field more inclusive, but all the study’s that we read about in class were not very successful. They all came up with the same paradigm that the outdoor recr

If this is the case, then what makes the able bodied, straight, white upper classmen think that everyone wants to be a part of their group? This question has been a common thought to me all throughout this course. Ultimately, the perfect model of recreation would be for everyone to participate equally, regardless of gender, race or economics. But if having segregated models is working, and people are satisfied with it, why are we looking for a change so badly?

This is not a change that is going to occur overnight. I believe that future programmers need to be more educated and aware of the various populations that are eager to participate in recreational adventures. There were so many different concerns to be aware of that I had no concept of until taking this course. Alternate paradigms need to focus on educating and awareness and focus more on younger populations. If the younger populations grow up in all inclusive environments, there will not be a need to have ‘special and inclusive recreation’, it will just happen. The socially just model of recreation would have everyone participating equally, regardless of gender, race, economics and other

Some topics in this essay:
, outdoor recreation, gender race, equally regardless gender, regardless gender race, gender race economics, recreation programs, race economics, equally regardless, specifically gay, upper class, role model, people participating, able bodied,