GLOBAL VISION PROJECT: Global Vision of Rehabilitation
and Recreation for People with Disabilities in the 21st Century

FORECASTING:
"World Special Play and Recreation Movement: Five Predictions for Development, 2001 to 2025"

by Prof. John A. Nesbitt, Ed.D., CTRS, Pres./CEO
Special Recreation for disABLED International
___

FORECASTING:
"Five Prediction for the World Movement for Play and Recreation for People with Disabilities"

World Movement. Over the next 25 years, 2001 to 2025, there will be a series actions and events around the world that will foster service to and opportunity for people with disabilities to receive the healing and fulfillment of play and recreation.

In part this movement will be organized and directed. And, in part it will develop as if spontaneously and independently of any central direction. The common factors will be the need for special play and recreation, the medical, therapeutic, benefits, and functional benefits, and the enrichment lives of people with disabilities. There will be continuous progress in this movement. The needs of 500,000,000 people with disability will stimulate continuous progress.

From 2001 to 2025 developments in the World Special Play and Recreation Movement will include the following:

I. World Initiatives. There will be an increase in international non-governmental (professional and service) activity in adapted/ special/ therapeutic activity/ play/ recreation on the international level. For example, Disability International Foundation and Special Recreation for disABLED International have joined together to conduct the Global Vision Project. The World Leisure and Recreation Association has adopted an international accessibility initiative. The aim of the GVProject is to advocate development in 187 nations and technical assistance from the United Nations.

II. International Committees. Among the organized professional national "therapies" (art ... music ... recreation ...) around the world there will be an increase in their activities "internationally" through international committees, exchange, meetings, projects, and technical assistance.

III. International Benefits. The benefits of international activity will be recognized as including:

A.  Means of responding professionally to international emergency needs caused by calamitous acts of nature, hostility between nations and groups, and human-made tragedies.

B.  Means of responding professionally to international continuing unmet needs for play and recreation for children, youth, ill and aged, and disabled in institutions and in the community around the world.

C.  Opportunity to express professional international friendship and goodwill; the greater the number of international professional friendships that exist in the world, the more unthinkable are hostility and fighting between nations.

D.  Two-way education through international professional exchange of professional experience and research; from professional teaching and learning on international technical assistance assignments; and, from living and learning in different cultures.

E.  The global image and program strengthens the national image and program of any given therapy.

F.  Global activity in special play and recreation validate the fact that play and recreation service/therapy are not a single-culture nor a single-nation behavior; the activities, play, recreation, and sports are global, basic, universal human behaviors.

III. World Organizations. Among the primary national professional therapy organizations "world organizations" will be created. For example, there will be a "World Recreational Therapy Association." The development from the 1950s to 2000 of international special sports has been extraordinary. World activity by special sports organizations will continue to grow. And, the therapies will create professional world organizations to carry on international programs and services.

IV. Special and Therapeutic National Organizations. Board based activity/ recreation organizations will be established in many nations. Among the organization created will be the following four types:

A.  Specific DISABILITY activity/play/recreation/sports organizations.

B.  Specific RECREATION (activity, arts, sports) organizations for people with disabilities.

C.  Board constituency SPECIAL PLAY AND RECREATION associations and organizations. For example, a "Special Recreation Association of (name of country)" will be established with the mission of fostering play and recreation in institutions and in the community. One aim of these organizations will be the encouragement of the formation of professional therapy associations.

D.  PROFESSIONAL activity/play/recreation service/therapy organizations, for example, _(name of nation)_ Art Therapy Association ... Music Therapy ... Recreation Therapy/TRS ....

V. Governmental Activity: The increase in non-governmental activity and organizations will stimulate national governments and the United Nations to increase their support of special play and recreation activity for people with disabilities, particularly for infants, children, youth.
___

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
___

GO HOME PAGE
GO INDEX

Bobby Approved (v 3.1)