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

PROGRAM:
"Twelve (12) Universal Principles of Special Play
and Recreation Programming for People with Disabilities"

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

These "12 Principles ..." are essential in serving people with disabilities in special play and recreation. Successful special play and recreation programming by civil society, governments, non-governmental organizations, and recreation and rehabilitation agencies flows from these principles.

Use of Principle. The reader may score her/his agency or organization on the use of each of these principles.
1=None/Not Used 2=Poor Use 3=Minimal 4=Good 5=Superior
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Priority to be Assigned. The reader may score her/his agency or organization on the priority that should be given in using each of the principles.
1=No Action 2=Lowest Need 3=Needed 4=High Need 5=Very Highest
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I. ABILITY. Universally, people with disabilities have the same play and recreation ABILITIES through adaptation and accommodation as people who are not "disabled." There should be no presumption of inability or incapacity by people with disabilities.
STATUS: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5 PRIORITY: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5

II. ACHIEVEMENT. Universally, every person with disability should experience play and recreation ACHIEVEMENT. There should be no presumption of any lack of the desire for a sense of achievement through play and recreation activities.

["... People may fail or achieve marginally in various spheres of life -- a career, or education, or employment. But, if play and recreation are "real" play and recreation than success and achievement are guaranteed. There is no failure in "real" play and recreation ... success in play and recreation is what draws a person back ... play and recreation are "factories" devoted to producing enjoyment, fun, satisfaction, and happiness ... in play and recreation there are no closed doors, no dissatisfactions, no dejections, and no gloom ...."]
STATUS: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5 PRIORITY: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5

III. ADAPTATION. Universally, every play and recreation activity can be ADAPTED, modified, or accommodated to be feasible for a person with any illness, injury, or disability. There should be no presumption of non-adaptability of areas, equipment, facilities, or supplies or of play and recreation activity criteria, requirements, restrictions, or rules.

["... The 'Archives of Play and Recreation Achievements by People with Disabilities' has pages added each day ... for people with physical impairment there is foot and mouth painting ... white water rafting ... hang gliding ... mountain climbing ... for people with hearing loss there is dancing and theater ... for people with visual impairment there is ... painting -- yes, painting -- and reading ... for people with retardation there is art ... athletics ...."]
STATUS: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5 PRIORITY: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5

IV. ASCENDANCE. Universally, special play and recreation programming fosters the ASCENDANCE from dependence and isolation to independence, integration, and association. Participation and association provides bridges to family life, voluntary service, education, pre-vocational experience, employment, community participation, and community roles. There should be no presumption of any disinterest or indifference to ascending to play and recreation independence (functionally) and independent inter-personal associations and society by people with disabilities.
STATUS: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5 PRIORITY: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5

V. ASPIRATION. Universally, every person with disability should ASPIRE to participate in any play or recreation desired. There should be no presumption of any lack of the right to aspiration by any person with a disability.
STATUS: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5 PRIORITY: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5

VI. DIVERSITY and NEW EXPERIENCE. Universally, play and recreation activities and programs should respond to the desire for diversity and new experience in relation to the participant/s age and sex, community, cultural-ethnic background, education, socio-economic situation, and other pertinent factors.

Special play and recreation activities and programs should provide as diverse an array of opportunities for diversity and new experience as are enjoyed by the general population -- or be even more diverse but not less diverse. There should be no presumption of disinterest in the need for, or desire for, diversity and new experience.
STATUS: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5 PRIORITY: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5

VII. INDIVIDUALITY. Universally, play and recreation activities and programs should respond to individuality in terms of creativity, idiosyncrasies, personality, and tastes.

In contemporary society, commerce, communications, information, education, entertainment, and government presume peoples' conformity. "One size fits all." Not true! One activity or one program does not suit all.

Above all, there should never be a presumption that a particular play or recreation activity "fits" all people with a particular illness or "suits" all people with a particular impairment!

There should be no presumption of indifference to the need for, or desire for, individuality. Play and recreation should be an experience where individuality is guaranteed.
STATUS: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5 PRIORITY: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5

VIII. EDUCATION FOR PLAY AND RECREATION. Universally, every person needs play and recreation education and every person with disability needs "Special Play and Recreation Education." There should be no presumption that people in general or people with disabilities do not need play and recreation education.

["... lead a person in recreation for an hour and there is an hour long joyful experience; teach a person skills in play and recreation, and the person plays and recreates for a lifetime ...."]
STATUS: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5 PRIORITY: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5

IX. EMPOWER RECREATION TIME. Universally, idle time has been forced on people with disabilities because of being confined to hospitals or institutions and to restrictive living situations or unemployment. Further, the general lack of transportation, either public or personally owned, and the limited funds for travel has served to deny people with disabilities access to play and recreation activities and programs. Play and recreation and special play and recreation providers (policy-makers, administrators, leaders) should consider the fact that "enforced idle time" must be replaced by "empowered recreation time" by allocating resources to programs and services to eliminate enforced idle time.

There should be no presumption that enforced free time, or enforced leisure, is a desirable lifestyle for any person including people with disabilities.
STATUS: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5 PRIORITY: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5

X. "PROTECTION AND PREVENTION." Universally, special play and recreation is directed to healthful, safe, salutary pursuits. The play and recreation leader, activities, agency, areas, equipment, facilities, personnel, program, and service should "Do No Harm." Measures are taken universally upon all occasions to assure protection and prevention of illness, injury, and disability because of play or recreation. In particular unsafe, high risk activities, for example, fireworks, should avoided.
STATUS: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5 PRIORITY: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5

XI. REHABILITATION. Universally, special play and recreation activities and programs respond to the participants needs in relation to needs that are: care-based, institution-based, and rehabilitation-based needs; therapeutic needs; and, function-based.

The "non-therapeutic, non-prescriptive" characters of "special" does not diminish the "therapeutic, healing" character of adapted and special play and recreation activities and programs.

First, healing, therapeutic, and rehabilitation goals are achieved in special play and recreation.

Second, for some people with illness, injury, impairment, or disability, the non-formal, non-therapeutic character of special play and recreation has an added therapeutic benefit.

This added benefit is that of allowing the special participant to escape:
those who treat (with or without causing pain); the rigors and routines of treatment, confinement, and daily activities; the constrictions and restrictions of the treatment setting; and, the sterility of personnel and setting, that is, the medications, the schedules, the treatment rooms, the wards, and the corridors and hallways.
STATUS: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5 PRIORITY: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5

XII. SOCIALIZATION. Universally, every person with disability should gain SOCIALIZATION through play and recreation in associations, classes, clubs and societies, groups: informal, interest, self-help, small groups, organizations, and societies. There should be no presumption that people with disabilities have any degree of diminished need or desire for socialization, that, friends, co-recreationists, a network of acquaintances. Rather, the isolation that many people with disabilities may experience increases the desire and the need for play and recreation association and socialization. Further, social isolation exacerbates illness and problems.

[" ... sometimes it seems that doing the recreation activity and doing the recreation activity with someone are equally important ...."]
STATUS: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5 PRIORITY: __1 __2 __3 __4 __5
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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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