CREATIVE PLAY FOR ALL
INCLUSION ADVICE –
FROM A NEWBIE By Lindsey Reardon CTRS
Hi, my name is Lindsey Reardon, and just over a year ago, I obtained my Master’s in Therapeutic Recreation. I have officially completed my first full year as a full-time CTRS. Still, I have 9+ years of experience working as a nursing assistant and with people with disabilities. In a year of working in therapeutic recreation, it has
been a blast. In addition to having fun, I have compiled some “need to know facts” and advice on how to succeed whether you are a newbie like me, someone who doesn’t often work with people with disabilities (PWD), or even if you are a veteran in working with PWD.
So, here is my first piece of inclusion advice from a newbie: Please realize that we don’t all start from the same place. Understand that equality amounts to sameness and equity amounts to fairness. For example, a wheelchair user can attend a baseball game the same as a person who ambulates. That is sameness. However, the wheelchair user requires a lift to reach their assigned seat. Providing that elevator is fairness. This example is a little flawed, as there are many inequities at a baseball game. Still, the point is that equality is handing both individuals a ticket. Equity is giving both individuals a ticket but also giving the wheelchair user access to the lift. Equity is ultimately the utilization of custom tools that identify and address inequality. Let’s look over a few fun facts. Fiftyseven million people in the US have a disability. Most of those disabilities are not visual to other people. When discussing inclusion, it’s not just about asking a person with a disability to participate. Inclusion isn’t about the building you work in either; it is also about making our community and program information accessible to everyone in various ways. Inclusion is about breaking down barriers in programs, meetings, parks, facilities, walking paths, and so much more.
26 • Colorado Byline | Summer 2023
