March 2024 - Parks and Recreation - 48

INCLUSION
Recreation prepares people for
life in an integrated society and,
just as importantly, prepares society
to accept individual diversity.
It
is not enough for a park and
recreation department
or
agency
to say that they offer inclusive
recreation opportunities. Inclusion
needs to be embedded in the
philosophies, policies and practices
of the park and recreation department
or agency. Inclusion is
a process that takes place within
the vast array of programs, camps,
special events, open gyms, parks,
and all other leisure and recreation
opportunities.
When considering where to begin
with inclusion, first take a look
at " The Three Ps of Inclusion " :
philosophy, policy and practice.
hilosophy
Recreation should be
based on the belief
and philosophy that all
people have the right to
access leisure and recreational opportunities
in their lives. In other
words, individuals have the right
to choose who they recreate with,
when they recreate and where they
recreate. Identifying and creating
an inclusion philosophy for your
agency and staff will set the principles
and belief system that support
and sustain your agency's overall
approach to inclusion. Park and
recreation agencies must have an
inclusive philosophy that guides
the " big picture " of their inclusion
services. It is important that personal
and agency philosophies on
inclusion align. A personal philosophy
consists of principles that influence
your thoughts, words and
actions.
When the philosophy of the
staff and agency align, it allows
for clear decision making by staff
and a transparent commitment to
inclusion that demonstrates the
type of service the community can
expect. The philosophy sets the
tone for behaviors and attitudes
that lead to policies that guide the
principles and agency values regarding
inclusion.
olicy
A policy is a written
document outlining
dedication to a specific
topic. Inclusion policies
outline how the recreation department
or agency will implement
the inclusion process and address
specific procedures related to inclusion.
The policies are a set of ideas
and plans used to make decisions.
More specifically, inclusion policies
are a guide for staff to outline expectations
and a guide for addressing
individual situations. They will
explain action plans for carrying
out procedures and should be easily
accessible and reviewed frequently.
Specific policies on inclusion
should include, but are not limited
to, the following: funding, training
of staff, staffing ratios, how to request
and/or notify that inclusion
assistance is needed, securing/creating/gathering
assistance modifications,
and evaluating assistance
modifications.
ractice
When looking at inclusion,
the focus should
be on the physical location
and the environment
of the program and/or service(s),
as well as the program and/
or service(s) itself. Inclusion is not
a " one-size-fits-all " practice. What
works for one individual may not
work for someone else. When implementing
the inclusion process,
you must get comfortable living in
48 Parks & Recreation | MARCH 2 0 2 4 | PARK S ANDRECRE AT ION . OR G
the " gray area, " as inclusion is not
a definitive practice. The practice
of inclusion is always evolving as
park and recreation departments
and agencies continuously look for
ways to provide best and/or universal
practices. Remember, the ADA
is
the
baseline
requirement. To
reach best and/or universal practice,
park and recreation departments
and agencies must be willing
to go beyond the baseline.
When starting the inclusion process,
conversations should center
around the main concept of how
the recreation department or agency
can provide the best recreation
or leisure experience possible. At
any given point during the inclusion
process, roadblocks or barriers
may become apparent. If the
recreation department or agency
is an inclusive organization with
inclusion
policies in place, the
staff's first inclination should not
be to say that they are unable to
accommodate the request. Instead,
the staff should continuously work
with the individual and/or family
to find an inclusive solution to
meet their needs.
Here is an example: Your program's
essential eligibility requirement
is that all participants must
be potty trained, but the registrant
does not meet that requirement.
What would you do? Your first response
might be to say, " No, they
cannot partake in the program. "
On the other hand, to remain inclusionary,
you could offer one of
the following as ideas for accommodations:
*
A parent or caregiver could work
from the lobby during the program
and be readily available for
any bathroom needs.
* A parent or caregiver could come
to change the child at a designated
time during the program.
March 2024 - Parks and Recreation

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