timelinE

Motivate/support municipal recreation departments to increase the number of persons with disabilities participating in structured and unstructured physical activity and recreation.

Align with “A Common Vision for Increasing Physical Activity and Reducing Sedentary Living in Canada: Let’s Get Moving (2018)” and "Framework For Recreation In Canada (2015)".

Address priority issues identified by municipalities in a survey conducted by ALACD and CPRA in 2022, such as making facilities more accessible and defining and understanding inclusion.

Objectives

Rationale

PROJECT OVERVIEW

A project to develop a Municipal Guide to Promising and Best Practices for Disability Inclusion in Recreation and Physical Activity

Presented by the Active Living Alliance for Canadians with Disabilities (ALACD)

Partners: Queen’s University School of Kinesiology and Health Studies, Canadian Parks and Recreation Association (CPRA) and P/T affiliates, Federal/Provincial Government Physical Activity and Recreation Committee (PARC), and Canadian Disability Participation Project (CDPP).

Develop and disseminate a guide to promising and best practices in disability inclusion for municipal recreation departments across the country.

The project will consult with municipal leaders, persons with disabilities, caregivers, researchers, and academic and grey literature to identify these promising and best practices.

Globally, people living with disabilities are 16–62% less likely to meet physical activity guidelines than people without disabilities.

Even low levels of physical activity has significant positive health effects.

Municipal governments have a mandate to provide recreation to all residents including those with a disability (i.e., applying Universal Design principles to outdoor spaces and training inclusion support staff).

Evidence Building: Consult with knowledge users via a consensus panel and focus groups.

Write and complete the guide by the end of 2024.

Implement the communication plan and disseminate the guide to increase uptake by municipalities.

ALACD has a vision of a Canadian society where people with disabilities regularly participate in meaningful recreation and physical activity.

For more information please contact Taryn Barry, ALACD project manager, at taryn.barry@ala.ca