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.

There are several reasonable modifications that your organization can make to promote and bolster inclusion, such as:

• Changing rules, policies, and procedures

• Removal or installation of architecture, transportation, and communication barriers

• Provisions of aids and services

• Allowing service animals

• Purchasing or acquiring adaptive devices to enable participants

• Providing readers, interpreters, or assistive listening devices

• Providing additional staff

• Personal mobility devices

Here are a few applicable scenarios, critical thinking questions, and self-reflection that made me cringe while writing. Additionally, I have added some sprinkles of newbie advice for your enjoyment.

I was hoping you could think about a wheelchair user trying to access the entirety of your gym.

Are there areas where maneuvering a wheelchair to reach a piece of equipment may be difficult? If yes, speak up. If the wheelchair user needs to transfer, is there enough space for them, their chair, the person assisting them in their transfer, and a place for the transfer equipment to be placed so that it won’t trip anyone? Additionally, is there room for canes and walkers that they will need to train with in addition to their chair? Will the medical equipment fit between the exercise equipment as the person tries to navigate the narrow paths between machines? In an ideal world, the answer should be, “Yes, of course, there is plenty of room.” However, this is most likely not the case, and you know what? That’s okay. You can always make room - after you finish reading this.

Making room to include people is just the start. Let’s think about a common adaptive device that can be used to adapt your activities and programs. Do you have resistance bands in your facility to employ the use of suspension for individuals with amputations or who are low weight-bearing?

(In my facility, the answer is no, we don’t. This is the part where I am cringing.) If you don’t, that is all right. It is an area you can improve upon, but it is not the end of the world. You will have to find other ways to adapt equipment to fit your client’s needs.

You will not always have the perfect setup for every individual all the time. Give yourself grace and know that “always” and “perfect” are impossible. Plenty of items in each facility can be used to adapt programs and activities so that an individual can participate. It just takes some creativity, critical thinking, and patience to find ways to make inclusion possible in any situation. It may also take some trial and error but do not fear that.

Let’s talk about something more common. Are the signs you use big enough to read if someone has a visual impairment? How do people with visual impairment independently read your fliers if they forgot their glasses or if they use braille? How would you get this information to them?

My advice? We could make the flier into an audio file or, if the person has an app that can read photos of words to them, ask if you can assist in taking the photo, maybe even ask to send the flier in an email that they can enlarge on their own device. These are important things to consider, especially if the individual’s disability is not obvious, which, as we now know, is very common.

More advice from a newbie:

Your attitude toward inclusion is the most important part of your job, regardless of your job. If you’re not sure how to assist someone with a disability, the best thing you can do is ask them and treat them how you would want to be treated.

It is okay to say, “I don’t have a lot of experience working with people who have ‘XYZ.’ How can I best assist you?” No one knows their disability as they do. They are the experts; no two disabilities are the same, even with the same diagnosis. What works for some might not work for all. Your attitude, compassion, empathy, and willingness to include the individual are what matters the most.

If you have further questions on inclusion, please contact CPRA.