Since 2008, the presenter has worked as a project coordinator with the Active Living Alliance for Canadians with a Disability (ALACD), a national organization, which promotes increased health and active living opportunities for the 1 in 7 Canadians who have a disability. Physical activity environments are often not developed with people who have a disability in mind. Through the lens of his own experience, the presenter will suggest that meaningful participation in physical activity is a powerful catalyst for individuals of all abilities. He will elaborate on ALACD projects and resources designed to inform physical activity providers about simple adaptations which facilitate inclusive participation. While awareness programs tend to focus on physical activity practitioners, the presenter will suggest that capturing the imagination of those with a disability is critical if we are to create a culture of greater inclusion.
2. Welcome
If you are a person with a disability or if
you deliver recreation-based physical
activity programs, Moving to Inclusion will:
• Provide you with knowledge to facilitate
inclusive opportunities for those with
different abilities;
• Offer practical approaches on how to
apply inclusion in an after-school setting;
• Equip you with tools, strategies, and
creative adaptation ideas to use when
program planning.
3. Session Overview
What is inclusive active living?
About ALACD
About Moving to Inclusion
Inclusion is not difficult
Why is physical activity more important for persons
with disabilities?
Some statistics
The reality
Learning about disability – ALACD Tipsheets
Adaptations: equipment, rules, playing space
Teaching tips
Where to get more information
4. What is Inclusive Active Living?
Inclusive active living involves:
- Meaningful participation;
- Participants are fully accepted;
- Assistance is offered as needed;
- Participants encouraged to choose
activities and take risks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JprJhG5nc8
5. - Promotes, supports and enables
Canadians with disabilities to lead active,
healthy lives;
- Focal point among 175 agencies
committed to inclusion and active living;
- Grassroots delivery mechanism of p/t
representatives across Canada;
- Shares information, resources and
contacts to promote inclusive active living.
About ALACD
6. - Launched in 1994 to promote inclusion of
students with disabilities into PE classes;
- Today MTI Online helps leaders include
those with disabilities in various programs;
- Modules highlight concepts and approaches
to lead inclusive physical activities;
- Course participants pay a registration fee
and receive a certificate upon completion;
- Visit www.ala.ca/mti-iem to learn more.
7. Relax!
Inclusion is not difficult
Where to start?
- Learn about the person, disability, barriers and
support required;
- Think safety first!
- Use verbal, gesture and writing as modes to
communicate as applicable;
- Develop realistic yet challenging objectives;
- Offer individualized support as needed;
- Ensure participants have acquired one skill
before moving on;
- Evaluate participant involvement, modify as
needed;
- Reinforce participant strengths;
- Use observation, questioning, repetition,
encouragement, patience and flexibility.
8. Why is physical activity more
important for children with
disabilities?
- Increases health – the 1/7 Canadians with
disabilities are statistically less likely to be active;
- Reduces risk of acquiring secondary conditions,
may assist in managing condition or curtail
deterioration;
- Lowers health care
costs
- Promotes social
inclusion
9. Some Statistics
- 4.6% of Canadian children and youth aged
5 to 19 have a disability (HRSDC);
- 5% of Canadian children and youth with a
disabilty do not go to school;
- 15% go to schools designed only for
children and youth with disabilities;
- High School dropout rate is 14.2% vs 9.7%
for those without disabilities;
10. Some Statistics
- Children with disabilities are nearly twice
as likely to be overweight or obese;
- Youth with disabilities are more likely to
abuse alcohol, drugs and tobacco;
- 28.1% of children and youth with a
disability have seen a psychologist or
psychotherapist (HRSDC);
- One in two children with a disability report
having no friends (Globe and Mail, January
2012)
11. The Reality
- Canada’s physical activity guidelines prescribe
minimum 60 minutes daily activity;
- Disability population less active overall than
mainstream;
- 37% of youth with disabilities never take part in
organized physical activity, vs 10%;
- 24% of youth with disabilities never take part in
unstructured activities, vs 2%;
- Less physical activity detracts from healthy
development;
- Participation drops after age 25 – vital that young
people sustain healthy habits.
Source: Standing Senate Committee on Human
Rights, 2012)
12. Learning about Disability
ALACD Tip Sheets
- Sensory Disabilities
- Mobility Disabilities
- Cognitive Disabilities
- Mental Health Disabilities
- Other Disabilities
13. Adaptations
Equipment
- Use balls of varying size or weight. A bell inside will
accommodate participants who are blind;
- Use sticks of varying lengths, adjust the height of nets,
use elastics or a lanyard to link participants requiring
additional support.
Rules
- A participant who uses crutches designated to take the
throw-ins during soccer games;
- Participants who are blind partnered with a guide
during running activities.
Playing Space
- Participant in a wheelchair covers a specified area for
basketball;
- Participants with a cognitive impairment who are
goaltending may play in a smaller net.
14. Teaching Tips
- Learn about the participant
- Ask questions;
- Focus on what participants
can do!
- Adjust equipment or rules to
promote success;
- For complex activities,
provide one-on-one support
where possible;
- Encourage realistic goal
achievement at each step
15. To learn more about our work, call or
write to us.
Active Living Alliance for Canadians
with a Disability
104-720 Belfast Road
Ottawa, Ontario, K1G 0Z5
Tel.: 1-800-771-0663
Email: ala@ala.ca
Web: www.ala.ca
Where to get more information
Editor's Notes
Notes:
A picture takes the place of a thousand words.
Use about three minutes of this video –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4JprJhG5nc8
from 0:00 to :55 and from 2:50 to 4:30.
-Imagine a neighbourhood with child-care centres, schools, recreational facilities, houses, businesses and parks where community members with different backgrounds, traditions and abilities live, play and work together. There are appropriate supports and resources to respond to the needs of everyone. The entire community works together as a team to ensure that diversity is not only accepted, it is celebrated. Everyone belongs, and no one is labelled as “special.”
- To me, this is an inclusive community
The ALACD uses the following definition:Inclusion is meaningful participation in an environment where every participant belongs, is accepted, supports and is supported by his/her peers and other members of that environment in the course of having one’s needs [for participation] met.
It is more than having designated spots in a parking lot and wheelchair accessible washroom facilities.
It means having policies that recognize the unique needs of pwd and procedures to make sure that they are adequately addressed.
It means making literature and information available in different formats
It means modifying programs to accommodate for the physical and intellectual differences that are the face of society
It means removing barriers to participation by providing barrier-free facilities and equipment that will accommodate limitations of users
It means creating an organization-wide culture of acceptance and accommodation with the intent to create equal access for everyone
Inclusion treasures diversity and builds community.
Inclusion does NOT mean "the same" for everyone, it means being included!
Inclusion is NOT just a 'disability' issue. I’m sure you’ve heard the term used in the context of race, religion, cost of participation, diversity of programming
So, inclusion means different things to different people and different things in different contexts
People with disabilities want the same wilderness experiences, recreation opportunities, and personal challenge as able-bodied park users, and the long-term goal in planning parks and park education programs should be inclusion, not just access.
On this slide, feel free to modify the presentation to include some pictures of yourself doing the activities that you love to do, or pictures of others in action
Introduce yourself and talk about why inclusive physical activity is important to you.
Share any stories about memorable physical activity events/experiences that stand out for you or which you may have helped facilitate for others
Talk about some of the things that you are involved in
Talk about some of the barriers that you have seen or encountered with regard to inclusion and how they were overcome
Talk about any creative adaptations to equipment or the activity which you have seen or experienced that facilitated inclusion in the activity
ALACD was created in 1989 and was born out of the 1986 Jasper Talks, a meeting of Physical activity providers, academics and disability orgs committed to addressing the lack of physical activity programs for people with disabilities
ALACD is a national non-profit, voluntary sector organization that envisions a society where Canadians of all abilities can lead active, healthy lives.
ALACD is supported through a grassroots delivery system of provincial / territorial representatives who we work with closely in delivering our programs.
We are built on an affiliation of 180 international, national, provincial and municipal agencies and associations that facilitates partnerships among the members of a network which extends to approximately a half million. The common link is our vision of a healthier, active Canadian disability population.
We deliver programming targeted at youth, inclusive school physical education, and public/private fitness facilities.
- MTI was originally developed by ALACD and partner organizations in 1994 through the National Integration Strategy. The ALA worked with 9 other organizations to develop the resource.
- The original document includes 9 comprehensive resource binders and 1 abridged version
- The abridged version was sent to every school in Canada in 1995. 15000 copies were distributed across the country.
- A train the trainer workshop was held in 1994 and since then more than 500 leaders have been trained to deliver workshops. It is estimated that 10000+ people have been exposed to MTI workshops.
- The purpose of the Moving to Inclusion online resource is to provide physical activity leaders with an engaging and interactive tool that will help them plan and lead a wide variety of physical activity programs in ways that include individuals who have disabilities.
• Module 1: Introduction
• Module 2: Understanding Disabilities and their Impact on Performance
• Module 3: Planning an Inclusive Physical Activity Program
• Module 4: Activity Modifications
• Module 5: Situational Scenarios
• Supplementary Information
• Additional Resources
It can be overwhelming to know where to begin in including participants with disabilities. Don’t worry. Keep the above simple steps in mind.
- Increases health – the 1/7 Canadians with disabilities are statistically less likely to be active;
Reduces risk of acquiring secondary conditions, may assist in managing condition or curtail deterioration;
- Lowers health care costs – a more active disability population will be a healthier one;
- Promotes social inclusion – participants develop competency and derive confidence, disability is no longer the elephant in the room.
Notes:
The Canadian Active After School Partnership (CAASP) was formed to collaboratively identify how the after school period can be used more effectively to increase physical activity and healthy eating by Canadian children and youth. CAASP was interested in speaking with parents and caregivers to understand how they perceive after school programs, what program and delivery components they value, and what barriers they confront in supporting the participation of their children. Of particular interest was parental needs relating to children and youth with disabilities, girls and young women, Aboriginal communities, and newcomers to Canada. These findings paint the disability picture.
Missing out on physical activity opportunities which after-school programs afford - Canada’s physical activity guidelines prescribe minimum 60 minutes daily activity;
Children with disabilities less active overall than ablebodied children;
37 % of children and youth with disabilities never take part in organized physical activity, compared to 10 % of those without disabilities;
24 % of young people with disabilities never take part in unstructured activities, compared to 2 % of their ablebodied peers (Standing Senate Committee on Human Rights, 2012)
Less physical activity detracts from healthy development;
Participation rates drop significantly after age 25 – vital that people develop healthy habits during youth which will continue into adulthood
In collaboration with our project partners and through PHAC support, this project was intended to equip health and education intermediaries with general knowledge and tools to accommodate Canadians with a disability in achieving increased physical activity participation, promoting enhanced physical literacy. We encourage you to take advantage of this free bilingual resource.
These tip sheets are designed to provide general information in support of Canada's Physical Activity Guidelines, developed by the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology. Concepts outlined should not be used as strict definitions or rules, but merely as guidelines. Every person is unique. Remember, participants themselves are your number one resource when trying to ensure inclusiveness in physical activity.
Sensory Disabilities
Blindness/ Visual Impairment
Deafness/ Hard of Hearing
Deaf/Blind
Mobility Disabilities
Aging
Amputations
Cerebral Palsy
Mobility Impairments
Multiple Sclerosis
Muscular Distrophy
Spinal Cord Injuries
Mental Health Disabilities
Anxiety Disorder
Developmental Disabilities
Dissociative Disorders
Mood Disorders
Other Disabilities
Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) / Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI)
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Asthma
Dyslexia
Epilepsy
Stroke
These tip sheets only cover a small fraction of the different types of disabilities, and the accommodations which are possible. We view this to be a living work which we hope will continue far beyond the project.
-Always try to maximize the participant's independence by increasing the focus on what they can do rather than what they can't do
-You can adjust the equipment and rules in order to promote success. For example you can use equipment of varying size and weight, simplify the rules, or modify the boundary areas
-For activities that require relatively complex skills, you may want to provide a one-on-one assistant to allow the participant to practice and gain competence before others are involved
-For participants who have difficulty attending for long periods of time you can either change the activity frequently or periodically change the participant's role in the activity to maintain their interest
-You may need to break down the activity into smaller steps. Set realistic goals at each step in order to maintain a positive focus and to avoid overwhelming the individual with a task that seems too difficult
-Always be patient.
- Learn about the participant. Do not be afraid to ask questions;
- Promote independence by focussing on what the participant can do!
- Be creative in adjusting equipment or rules to promote success;
- For complex activities, provide one-on-one support where possible;
- To maintain interest, change the activity frequently or periodically change the participant's role in the activity;
- Encourage realistic goal achievement at each step