December 2014 - Parks & Recreation - 49

PRORAGIS and Special-Needs Populations
By David Kurtz and Travis Smith, Ph.D.

ecreational opportunities for special-needs individuals are critical.
Individuals with disabilities have unique challenges that may inhibit
their ability to participate in traditional recreational activities, so providing additional, specialized opportunities for recreation may increase their
self-esteem and physical health. Almost 60 percent of the agencies that provided data to PRORAGIS™ between 2011 and 2014 offer programs for people
with disabilities, with more than 75 percent of these agencies indicating that
programs for individuals with significant disabilities are part of their agency's
program offerings.
While most people realize that
those with special needs are likely to have physical barriers to participation in recreation activities,
we should realize that psychological barriers are equally significant
in limiting participation in rec-

58%
98%
75%

reational activities. These barriers to participation may include:
lack of knowledge of the activity,
social ineffectiveness, emotional
dependency, and/or skill or challenge gaps. Special-needs programs
should facilitate the opportunity

of PRORAGIS
agencies offer
programs for
individuals with
disabilities.
of these
agencies make
accommodations
for inclusion in
regular activities.
offer program
opportunities
for people with
significant
disabilities.

for individuals to participate in recreational activities by addressing
such emotional challenges. Making these emotional barriers easier
to surmount can make an agency's
programming for those with special
needs even more effective.
Individuals with special needs
may need recreational activities to
help improve their health even more
than individuals without a disability. Recent studies from the Centers
for Disease Control have found that
in the United States, obesity rates
among disabled adults are approximately 58 percent higher than adults
without disabilities, while obesity
rates among children with disabilities are 38 percent above those of
children without disabilities. With
the increased risk of obesity among
those with disabilities, they are subsequently also at higher risk for a
number of health problems, including heart disease, Type II diabetes,
high blood pressure and cancer. Furthermore, individuals with disabilities are more likely to be inactive
and have sedentary lifestyles.
What does this all mean? It means
that once again, park and recreation
agencies are providing critical services to their communities. If your
agency isn't currently offering inclusive programs or programs targeted
toward those citizens with special
needs, it might be time to think about
how you can serve this important
part of your jurisdiction.
David Kurtz is NRPA's Research Specialist
(dkurtz@nrpa.org). Travis Smith, Ph.D., is
NRPA's Vice President of Research (tsmith@
nrpa.org).

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