Introduction. The First World Rehabilitation Congress of Rehabilitation International, formerly International Society for the Rehabilitating of Disabled, was held in 1929 in Geneva. Over the decades the RI world congresses have come to be regarded as the "World University of Rehabilitation of People with Disabilities."
The other international organizations cited in this brief article have performed a similar role for their respective professions and fields.
Each of these "international universities" have offered curricula in special play and recreation for people with disabilities, that is, lectures, courses, and papers.
The aims of compiling this listing of "curricula" on special play and recreation at world congresses and regional conferences include:
1. Provide a brief suggestion of the "special play and recreation curricula" (courses, demonstrations, exhibitions, lectures, media, papers, programs, symposia, workgroups, workshops) that have been provided by these international organizations.
2. Provide international curriculum planners for conferences, congresses, and symposia, workshops with a brief suggestion of the content of past educational and exchange activities. This information serves as an informal checklist of international curricula for in-service (continuing education for practicing professionals) and pre-service education (certificate or degree seeking students).
SRDI staff provided advice on the organization and content of various of these international programs. SRDI's goals in considering curriculum for a congress, conference, seminar, or workshop included the following goals:
1. Exchange information on national, institutional, and community experience in special play and recreation for handicapped.
2. Provide training in organization of special play and recreation.
3. Provide training in methods used in special play and recreation.
4. Stimulate public and voluntary development of special play and recreation.
5. Provide access to international special play and recreation support networks.
There are another 25 world organizations (blind, deaf, etc.) that have included play and recreation in their world meeting education programs. However, the scope of those activities are well beyond the space available at this website and the scope of this article.
For this abbreviated website version of this compilation only titles of papers are presented, not authors nor nations nor institutions. These world exchange and training activities were sponsored by:
KEY
ICHPER----International Council for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation.
LCRS------League of Red Cross Societies Seminars.
NRPA------National Recreation and Park Association.
RI--------Rehabilitation International World Congresses. (1)
SRDI------Special Recreation for disABLED International.
WFMH------World Federation for Mental Health.
WLRA------World Leisure and Recreation Association World Congresses. (2)
YMCA-USA--Young Men's Christian Association of the USA.
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(*) Indicates that the writer was involved in the activity serving as an exhibitor; curriculum director,
coordinator or adviser; presenting a paper or written document,
1929 to 1954. Information is being sought on curricula for these RI Congresses:
1929 RI First World Congress, Geneva
1931 RI Second World Congress, The Hague
1936 RI Third World Congress, Budapest
1939 RI Fourth World Congress, London
1951 RI Fifth World Congress, Stockholm
1954 RI Sixth World Rehabilitation Congress, the Hague
PAPERS
"Some Aspects of the Physical Rehabilitation and Training of Paraplegic Children."
"Resettlement Problems in the Rehabilitation of Spinal Paraplegics."
1956 [first] NRPA/WLRA World Recreation Congress, Philadelphia
PAPERS
"Recreation for the Ill and Handicapped -- Reports from Around the World."
"Professional Preparation for Hospital Recreation Personnel."
"Recreation for Geriatric Patients."
"Recreation for Mentally Retarded."
"New Vistas in Recreation for Patients through the Use of Tranquilizing Drugs."
"The Recreation and Therapeutic Benefits of Dance."
"Combining Recreation and Therapy through Music."
"Combining Recreation and Therapy through Social Activities."
"Combining Recreation and Therapy through Arts and Crafts."
"Recreation for the Physically Ill or Homebound Physically Disabled Child."
"Workshop [on recreation] for Acutely Ill and Convalescent Child."
"Workshop [on recreation] for Chronically Ill Children in Hospitals and Related Institutions."
"Workshop on Camping for the Handicapped Child."
1957 RI Seventh World Rehabilitation Congress, London
PAPERS
"Childhood: Guiding and Girl Scouting for the Handicapped."
"Placement and Resettlement: Clubs and Societies of Disabled People -- Their Contribution Toward the Integration of the Individual into the Community."
"Sport: Medical and Social Approach with Special Reference to Risks and Safeguards."
1960 RI Eighth World Rehabilitation Congress, New York (*)
PRESENTATION
"Comeback," an evening play on therapeutic recreation staged at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, produced by the "Consulting Service on Recreation for the Ill and Handicapped," National Recreation and Park Association/International Relations Service.
EXHIBIT
"Recreation for the Ill and Handicapped Around the World," an exhibit produced by the "Consulting Service on Recreation for the Ill and Handicapped," National Recreation and Park Association, International Relations Service.
1960-64 League of Red Cross Societies and Recreational Therapy
SEMINARS
First Red Cross Seminar on Recreational Therapy; Medico-Social Documentation No. 15, Geneva
Second Red Cross International Seminar on Recreational Therapy; Medico-Social Document No. 23, Geneva
Third Red Cross International Seminar on Recreational Therapy; Medico-Social Document No. 26, Geneva.
1962 RI Second Pan Pacific Rehabilitation Conference, Manila (*)
PAPERS
"Scouting with the Handicapped."
1963 RI Eleventh World Rehabilitation Congress, Copenhagen (*)
PAPERS
"Social and Recreational Opportunities for the Handicapped."
1964 [first or second] WLRA World Recreation Congress, Osaka and Kyoto (*)
PAPERS
"Recreation for the Ill and Handicapped."
"Recreation Programs for the Aged."
"Place of Recreation in Community Development and Technical Assistance."
"Therapeutic Recreation -- In Hospitals, Rehabilitation Centers, Health, and Welfare Institutions."
1965 RI Third Pan-Pacific Rehabilitation Congress, Tokyo
PAPERS
"Scouting for the Handicapped."
"Volunteer Service [Crippled Children]."
"Volunteer Services [Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation]."
1966 RI Twelfth World Rehabilitation Congress, Heidelberg/Wiesbaden (*)
PAPERS
"Toys for Physically Disabled Children."
"Sports for Severely Disabled."
"Medical Research on the Importance of Sports for Rehabilitation of Paralytic Subjects."
"Types of Sports Suitable for Wheel-chair Patients and Evaluation of Performance at International Games."
"Financial Support for Sports for Disabled in Different Countries."
"Vacation and Leisure-Time Planning for Severely Disabled Children and Adults" and " ... for Paraplegics."
"The Respective Roles of Professional Guidance and Client Self-Responsibility in Leisure-Time Planning for Disabled Persons."
"The Cultural and Social Care of Handicapped Young People."
1969 RI Eleventh World Congress, Dublin
PAPERS
"Play and Toys in Education of Normal and Handicapped Children."
"Sports Education for the Handicapped Child."
"Sports for the Disabled."
"Gardening for the Disabled."
"Hobbies for the Disabled."
"A Scheme for the Integration of Physically Handicapped and Able-Bodied Young People."
1972 RI Twelfth World Rehabilitation Congress, Sydney
PAPERS
"One Step at a Time: Recreation for the Mentally Retarded, with Specific Considerations of Physical Activity for the Severely and Profoundly Mentally Retarded."
"Recreation for Handicapped People."
1976 RI Thirteenth World Rehabilitation Congress, Tel Aviv (*)
PAPERS
"The Global Movement in Recreation for the Handicapped."
"The Benefit of Leisure Service and Participation."
"The Meaning of Therapeutic Recreation."
"Leisure [recreation] Education: A Rehabilitation Necessity."
"Working with Mentally Retarded in Therapeutic Recreation."
"Recreation and Corrections [adult and youth offender]: Its Development, Philosophy, and Future."
"The Handicapped Are Out of Hiding: Implications for Community Recreation."
"Therapeutic Recreation Research: An Analysis of Areas, Methodology, and Settings."
"The New 'Information and Research Utilization Center' and the Relevance of Information Systems to Recreation Personnel."
"U.S. Government Involvement in Therapeutic Recreation Services: As Demonstrated by the U.S. Bureau of Education for the Handicapped."
"Recreation Services and Special Groups in Canada."
"The Future: Recommendations for World Action."
"Scouting for the Handicapped."
"New Role of the Physical Educator in the Rehabil9itation of the Mentally Retarded."
"Varieties of Living for the Severely Disabled."
"Recreation for the Physically Handicapped Person."
"Sport and Leisure -- An Aid to Integration of Severely Disabled People."
"Activity Therapy Within the Framework of Rehabilitation."
"Music Therapy for the Physically Handicapped."
1980 RI Fourteenth World Congress, Winnipeg (*)
PAPERS
"Issues of Human Rights and Community Involvement."
"Perceptions of Disabled Persons Regarding Community Involvement."
"The Role of Legislation in Enabling Special Recreation."
"Developing Strategies for Integration and Mainstreaming."
"PHAB [Physically Handicapped and Able-Bodied] and the Integration Process in Play and Recreation."
"Mainstreaming Community Recreation and Youth Programs: A Needs-Assessment Approach."
"Education for Leisure and Community Involvement."
"Leisure Counseling: What My Clients Taught Me."
"A Systemic Approach to Leisure Education in Community Based Residential Facilities."
"Developing Social Skills in the Developmentally Disabled Adolescent and Young Adult."
1981 ICHPER World Congress on Health, PE, and Recreation, Manila:
"SRDI World Seminar on Special Recreation,"
conducted by Special Recreation for disABLED International." (*)
PAPERS
"History, Goals, and Benefits of Recreation for Handicapped: Children, Youth, and Adults."
"Poster Presentations: Special Arts and Special Crafts."
"Children: Let's Play to Grow," (12 activity areas in play and recreation), demonstrations, methods, orientation, and film.
"Youth and Young Adults: Scouting for the Handicapped," orientation for professionals and volunteers, support materials, slides, and film.
"Poster Presentations: Clubs and Sports."
"Adults and Seniors: Sports Recreation for Disabled," film, slides.
"Identification of Goals and Strategies for Development of Recreation for Disabled Persons at the National and Community Levels."
1981 WFMH, World Congress on Mental Health, Manila:
"SRDI World Seminar on Special Recreation,"
conducted by Special Recreation for disABLED International." (*)
PAPERS
"Play and Recreation for Handicapped People is a Human Right and a Major Means of Demonstrating Public Acceptance of Handicapped People."
"Coping with Disability: Roles of Play and Recreation in Creating Positive Self-Esteem, Individuality, Success and Joy in Rehabilitation and Treatment."
"Architecture Barriers -- Areas, Facilities, and Transportation."
"Family Assistance: Family Use of Play and Recreation with Disabled Member for Normal Growth and Development and Family Solidarity; The Family That Plays Together Stays Together." NOTE: This slogan originated about 1910.
"Mental Health Service Provider: Play and Recreation as a Means of Achieving and Expressing Mental Health."
"Attitudes and Behavior Modification:
1. Integrated Play and Recreation Versus Public Escape-Avoidance Behavior;
2. Non-graded, Non-standardized Play and Recreation Contribution to Self-Esteem; and,
3. Play and Recreation Recognize Disabled Person's Individuality."
1981 YMCA-USA Congress on Mainstreaming Activities for Youth, Honolulu
"SRDI In-service Training on Special Recreation,"
conducted by Special Recreation for disABLED International. (*)
THEMES
1. Recreation Of, For, and By People with Disabilities.
a. Rationale for Special Recreation: Human/Civil Rights, Normalization, Benefits.
b. UN International Recognition of Right to Recreation.
c. Credo, Treatment, Benefits, Charter, International Action, National Goals.
2. The Disabled: Non-visible Population.
a. Disabled in National Population.
b. Increase in Disabled People.
c. Why Disabled Are Non-visible.
d. Recreation Patterns Among People Who Are Disabled.
e. National and International Implications for the Future.
3. Attitudes Toward Disease, Injury, and Disability.
a. Generalizations About Attitudes.
b. Cycle of Prejudice or Acceptance.
c. Attitudes Sets or Syndromes.
d. Handicapped or Handipeople.
4. Special Recreation Programs.
a. Model Services (cities, counties, state, National).
b. Total Programming for children, young, adults, and seniors.
5. Federal Resources for Special Recreation in the USA.
a. Laws, Policies, Regulations, and Programs.
b. Sources of Information.
6. Special Recreation for disABLED International ACTIVITY
a. 1980 Rehabilitation International Work Group.
b. SRDI International Center: Archives, Information, and Referral.
c. Survey of Special Recreation in the British Isles.
d. Publishing "Northern Ireland SR Guide."
e. International Year for the Disabled.
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Footnotes
(1) RI = Rehabilitation International, formerly "International Society for Rehabilita6tiopn of Disabled," and prior to that "International Society for the Welfare of Cripples."
(2) WLRA = World Leisure and Recreation Association, was founded in 1956 as "International Recreation Association," at the [first] World Recreation Congress which was conducted by the National Recreation and Park Association, then called the National Recreation Association. The National Recreation Association "international program" had grown to the point that in 1932 at the International Olympics held in Los Angeles, USA, the NRA sponsored an international meeting on community play and recreation service. This led to the 1956 [first] World Recreation Congress at which the International Recreation Association was founded. Subsequently, the 1964 World Recreation Congress in Japan could be referred to as either the "first" or the "second" world recreation congress.
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POSTSCRIPT. The purpose here is to provide a brief overview of international special play and recreation curricula. It is possible to make some observe that:
Play and Recreation: Many adapted, special, and therapeutic play and recreation activities and concepts discussed currently have been discussed since the 1950s.
Continuity: While the activities and concepts have been presented at world meetings over time, there has been limited continuity in international cooperative/coordinated curriculum nor program development among organizations between meetings
Checklist: For international and national congress, conference, seminar and workshop curriculum planners the most frequently appearing subjects, themes, and topics include:
Therapies: The range of adapted, special and therapeutic play and recreation activities cited include:
Activity,
Art, arts, arts and crafts, crafts
Camping,
Dance
Guiding/scouting (boys, girls),
Music,
Recreation
Recreational therapy/therapeutic recreation service,
Social recreation: clubs, societies
Sports.
Patients/Clients:
Acutely/Severely Ill, Disabled
Aging/Geriatric,
Children, various disease and disability categories, convalescent
Chronically Ill,
DISABLED, disabled with disabilities, handicapped, handi-capable, handi-people, etc.
Homebound,
Mentally Ill,
Mentally Retarded (mild, moderate, severely, profoundly),
Paraplegics (children, adults), and
Physically Handicapped, children, youth, adults, seniors
Subjects:
ATTITUDES: Patterns, Prejudice, Terminology (disabled or handi-capable/-people),
BARRIERS: Attitudes, Buildings, Transportation, Staff Attitudes, Public Attitudes
Benefits of Special Recreation,
Client Responsibility for Leisure Time Planning
Community-based Recreation,
Community Development,
Community Integration,
Community Recreation for Handicapped,
Community Settlement/Resettlement
Corrections (adult, youth offenders) Recreation,
Demographics: National Populations, Increase in Numbers, Non-Visible
Free-time Planning (daily, vacation),
Funding for Sports for Disabled,
Future/Global World Special Play and Recreation Movement,
Gardening for Disabled,
Hobbies for Disabled,
Hospitals/Institutions
Hospital Recreation Personnel
Human Rights: UN, Culture, Leisure, Play, Recreation for Disabled Persons
Information Service,
INTEGRATION: Physically Handicapped and Able-bodied, in Play and Recreation,
Legislation and Special Recreation,
Leisure, Leisure Time Planning: Professional Guidance/Client Responsibility
Mental Health: Play and Recreation as Means to Achieve MH and Expression of MH,
PSYCHOLOGY: Behavior Modification, Integration versus Escape-Avoidance,
PSYCHOLOGY: Public Acceptance in Play, Self-Esteem, Family Use of Play,
Play in Education for Normal and Handicapped Children
"Play to Grow," 12 Activity Areas for Families,
Professional Preparation of Hospital Recreation Personnel
Recreation/Leisure Counseling/Guidance: Leisure Planning: Professional, Client
Recreation/Leisure Education,
Recreation Patterns (of participation) Among Disabled
Research in Therapeutic Recrea5tion,
Rehabilitation Centers,
Research (medical) on Sport, Rehabilitation, and Paralytic Subjects
Risk, Safety, Safeguards
Settlement/Resettlement
Social Skills,
Sports for Severely Disabled,
Sports Education for Handicapped Children,
Technical Assistance,
Toys for Physically Disabled Children,
Tranquilizing Drugs
U.S. Government Involvement in Therapeutic Recreation, and
Vacation/Leisure-time Planning for Severely Disabled Children and Adults
Wheel-chair Sports Performance Evaluation.
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GLOBAL VISION PROJECT:
Global Vision of Rehabilitation and
Recreation for People with Disabilities in the 21st Century
A JOINT PROJECT BY:
Disability International Foundation AND
Special Recreation for disABLED International
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