Content area
Full text
As people with disabilities become increasingly involved in outdoor adventure programming, it becomes the responsibility of the practitioner to facilitate safe and effective inclusive programs. This article introduces the Model of Inclusive Facilitation that leads practitioners through a process of gathering information and learning techniques to facilitate groups that include both people with and without disabilities. The model includes: (a) developing a resource base of written materials and community contacts, (b) addressing personal attitudes as well as learning general language and interaction guidelines, (c) obtaining information specific to a client's disability, (d) designing adaptations to make programs structurally and programmatically accessible, (e) implementing the program, and (f) evaluating the process. The goal of the model is to enable facilitators to be comfortable and competent in including people with disabilities in their programs by developing the ability to focus on participants' abilities rather than disabilities.
Key words: disabilities, outdoor education, adventure education, accessibility, inclusion
People with disabilities are increasingly involved in adventure programs. Recent research indicates that patterns of participation in adventure activities for people with, and without, disabilities are similar (McCormick, n.d.). Individuals are not interested in participating in segregated programs designed specifically for people with disabilities, but are interested in participating in programs that are inclusive. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) legally provides access to inclusive adventure programs and ensures that people with disabilities have opportunities that are similar to those of the rest of the population (McAvoy & Lais, 1999; Sugerman, 1993). As a result of the ADA, the responsibility for inclusion rests with the facilitators of adventure programs. It is the facilitator's responsibility to ensure that s/he is knowledgeable about disability issues and is able to safely, effectively, and successfully implement programs for all individuals who participate in adventure activities, including those who have disabilities.
The purpose of this article is to introduce a model that leads practitioners through a process of facilitating outdoor adventure groups that include people with disabilities. It offers a sequential outline of steps that will enable the facilitator to become more comfortable with, and more knowledgeable about, disabilities. My experience has been that many facilitators, novice or seasoned, have little experience working with people who have disabilities, and are sometimes at a loss concerning...