INCLUSIVE RECREATION PLAN 1

Inclusive Recreation

Plan
By: Leah Poirier
INCLUSIVE RECREATION PLAN 2

Table of Contents

Introduction 3

Staff Training 4

Working with Diverse People

Using Equipment

Creating a Positive Environment

Equipment 6

Rock Climbing 7

Ice Climbing

8
INCLUSIVE RECREATION PLAN 3

Financing

10

Equipment Chart

12

Location Accessibility

12

Safety/Risk Management

13

Conclusion

13

Specific Examples of Possible Cases

14

References 16

Introduction

Outdoor Skills and Thrills is a program that provides

people with the opportunity to go rock and ice climbing in

and around Thunder Bay, Ontario. It was created by

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Aric Fishman in 2014, an Outdoor Recreation Parks

and Tourism graduate from Lakehead

University.

Inclusive recreation is defined

"as being able to participate in activities without being limited by illness, disability or age" (Reid,

N/A). The main reason I want to recommend this inclusive recreation plan is because Outdoor

Skills and Thrills is a newer program that is open to becoming a more inclusive program and

wants to welcome anyone with any physical/psychological barrier to join the experience. They

offer everything from family fun days to learning traditional climbing. This inclusive recreation

plan is to ensure that anyone with any potential barrier(s) are able to experience rock or ice

climbing in and around Thunder Bay. To make this happen some recommendations for potential

barriers are; having the proper equipment, staff with the appropriate training, financing, choosing

the easiest accessible location and having thorough safety/risk management plans.

Staff Training

Working with Diverse People

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Programs need to be able to offer much more than just the hard skills to be successful and

they need to "also assist in building the self-confidence and the interpersonal skills" (Grayson,

N/A) especially if working with someone with a disability. Since there is such a large range of

disabilities and potential barriers, a very important and needed skill the staff will need is to work

with all different people with possible impairments. This can be anything from a child with

autism to an adult with paraplegia. When working with any individual communication is key,

and when that individual has a potential barrier the importance of communication becomes much

greater. Understanding what they feel comfortable with and their personal and physical limit is

extremely important especially in an outdoor setting. It is very possible that because of a

disability communication may be what needs to be altered. Hiring an individual who knows how

to speak in sign language would be a wonderful aspect to the program and having them come to

accommodate for any deaf people who want to experience rock or ice climbing. It would also be

ideal to have individuals who are comfortable working with any potentially blind people who

would like to participate in the program. Experience working with different disabilities would be

great for a staff member to have but is something they can gain over time.

Using Equipment

Staff for Outdoor Skills and Thrills not only need to be properly trained to communicate

with people but they also need to know how to properly use all of the equipment. There are

already many pieces of equipment that staff need to know how to operate, but if there were

people with physical disabilities they would need to be trained to know more about using

different, adaptive equipment. The program already includes all equipment for individuals

without any physical disability. Depending on the impairment an individual may have, the

program will need to consider purchasing more special equipment or telling people to bring their
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extra equipment they will need for a day out in the field. Depending on the disability that will

need to be accommodated for, the piece of equipment for the specialized gear needed can vary

tremendously. It can be anything from needing to rent a van for someone who uses a wheelchair

or simply a full body harness for someone who has lost full motion control of their torso. The

special equipment an individual may need to bring for a day trip could also include medical

things and that is why staff need to be properly trained for everything, from dealing with acute

stress reactions to possibly giving injections to people with hemophilia (Wilderness First

Responder should be a must). Making sure the staff members know how to operate the

equipment, or at very least are familiar with it, should be the program's responsibility so they can

accommodate to the client. Some physical impairments to consider are paraplegia/quadriplegia,

cerebral palsy, other paralysis', amputations, hemophilia, deaf/ hard-of-hearing, blindness, and/or

epilepsy. Not all will need adaptive physical equipment but staff should be prepared for both

physical and emotional adaptations.

Creating a Positive Environment

With having a staff team properly trained with both soft and hard skills for Outdoor Skills

and Thrills, creating a positive environment should not be hard, but should most definitely not be

ignored. Training staff to have exceptional interpersonal skills to work with people with potential

emotional barriers and training them to properly provide the appropriate positivity is important.

Sometimes reassurance and encouragement can be the most important thing and can make the

biggest differences in an individual's experience (for people with or without a disability).

Challenge by choice (a more descriptive table below) is ideal for this specific program and

reassurance by making sure that they know the staff is properly trained and they can trust them.

By continuously encouraging their participants to push their limits and impress not only others
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what disabled bodies are capable of but more importantly to impress themselves. But keeping in

mind that their attempt is more significant than their success. By providing a positive

environment it will also increase positive promotion by word of mouth and encourage other

individuals with any barrier to come join the experience.

Challenge By Choice; The goal is to empower participants, and the participants (NOT the

leaders) control the level of risk.

Offers
- supportive and caring atmosphere
- choice to back off with no penalty
- attempt is more significant than success
- Respect for individual ideas and choices

Equipment

Since rock and ice climbing have different climbing surfaces and different environment

conditions the equipment will vary a little. All the equipment for both rock and ice climbing have

a very important purpose to ensure safety while climbing, but for a person with a disability, this

may make some of the equipment not serve its full safety purpose. Therefore some adaptive

equipment will be needed for some physical barriers.

Rock Climbing

The basic equipment for rock climbing is a rope, a harness, a belay device, a helmet

rocking climbing shoes and a climbing surface. Some adaptive equipment to consider for various
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disabilities are prosthetic climbing feet, prosthetic climbing knees, a figure-8 harness, and/or a

swami harness. For individuals first time coming out rock or ice climbing they do not need to

worry about operating a belay device. The leaders will do that for all participants.

Unfortunately prosthetic legs/feet do not easily fit climbing shoes because of the way

most climbing shoes are made with a curve.

That being said, there are some very flat

climbing shoes that are worth trying to see if

Figure 1: Jamie Andrew; amputee of all four
limbs
they can fit the individual. Climbing in running

shoes is always an option for beginners as well

but climbing shoes do make it easier. For

individuals very passionate about the sport they can purchase their own prosthetic climbing feet

(Andrew, 2014). Some prosthetic climbing feet

available to buy for specifically rock climbing are; the

El Dorado Z- Axis Foot (Figure 2), ADK climbing foot

and the Maddy Ott climbing foot. All shoes are

Figure 2 El Dorado Z-Axis Foot
made with either the same or very similar rubber as an original climbing shoe is made with to

give the user ultimate grip on the rock.

Many individuals who have amputated arms/hands have the choice to use their prosthetic

or even their bare skin/ their "stump" (as shown in Figure 1). It is recommended to wrap their

skin in climbing/ athletic tape for better grip and to protect their stump. Another piece of

equipment to consider to get the individual to the cliff is a wheelchair for rougher terrain. The

newest all-terrain wheelchair is called the GRIT Freedom Chair (later shown in Figure 7 ). For
 INCLUSIVE RECREATION PLAN 9

individuals who are very passionate about going to somewhere with a more rough ascent (for

example Silver Falls) there are other options such as stretchers.

For individuals who have lost full stability of their torso area, a regular harness may not

be as safe because it may be hard for the individual to maintain an upright

position. The figure eight harness/full body harness and swami harness

allows more stability around a person's torso. The figure eight harness/ full

body harness goes up and around an individual's arms for ultimate

support. The swami belt harness has a much thicker waist section

Figure 1 YATES Big Wall Harness. to the harness that provides more support and comfort. The swami
With Swami Belt
belt itself is not the name of the harness, it is just the extra big/padded section of the

harness. For example the YATES Big Wall harness has a swami belt (Figure 3). There are also

other harnesses that the program should invest in such as harnesses with extreme padding for

individuals who have poor circulation and/or gets pressure sores easily, which is very common

for people with lower leg disabilities.

Ice Climbing

For ice climbing luckily (from a financial point of view) some of the adaptive

gear will be the same as rock climbing. The main gear to ice climb is a rope, a

harness, a belay device, crampons, ice picks, a helmet and appropriate

outdoor gear for the elements. The program already ensures that

participants are prepared for the elements on the day trips in the

winter. Some gear that the program will need to look into getting for

people with disabilities to participate in ice climbing are; figure

eight/full body harnesses, swami belt harnesses and

INCLUSIVE RECREATION PLAN 10

prosthetic ice tools. The only different equipment from rock climbing will be the ice tools and

possibly a sit ski to get them to the ice.

Luckily in the winter is it a lot more easy to travel on snow with equipment. For

wheelchair users and anyone with lower leg problems, a sit ski will be the easiest way to get

them to the ice. Luckily in and around Thunder Bay there are short, not steep ascents to

successfully use the sit ski.

Figure 2 Stephanie Dixon Ice

For amputees with one leg they can still ice climb with climbing with her one leg

that one leg. All they need is one boot with crampons on it and they are good

to go (Figure 4). Fortunately, unlike climbing shoes, ice climbing uses boots

that are meant to fit a foot like a regular boot. Meaning there are no

special prosthetic foot needed, prosthetic feet should fit into them. There are

prosthetic crampons that are a lot more light and ideal for

individuals who are more passionate about the sport and do it

Figure 5 Prosthetic Crampon
more frequently as

a hobby (figure 5).

For arm amputees there are many different

prosthetic ice tools. Most are specially made for the

individual using them but for an inclusive program

one with a more universal fit can be purchased so

that it can be used by the majority of amputees (like

Figure 6 Prosthetic Ice the one shown in Figure 6).

Tool
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Financing

One of the biggest factors in this inclusive plan will be cost. Not all cases of individuals

with barriers will be financially difficult but for some it will be extremely. A studied done in

Minnesota for park and recreation programs showed that 50% of problems for inclusive

programs is financing. The financial barriers "included; insufficient funds for hiring disability

specialists, securing additional equipment, ensuring program location accessibility and

marketing" (Miller, Schleien, & Lausier, 2009. page 5). Some possible recommendations to

consider to help with financing for specific inclusive trips are; to ask for volunteers, sponsors,

and fundraising/donating.

Not all people with disabilities will need a disability specialist and by training staff to

work with people with barriers will help a lot. Having volunteers or family/friends of the person

with the disability participate for free will help tremendously. For the volunteers it is something

that would look great on a resume and by allowing a "two for one" package for the person with

the barrier will be great advertisement for the program. Fortunately most people with disabilities

already have disability specialist in their lives and by allowing the "two for one" package can not

only help Outdoor Skills and Thrills with financing but also open the program's experience to

more people.

As stated before Outdoor Skills and Thrills already supplies all of the equipment to their

customers but this is not including specialized equipment. Disabilities that may require adaptive

equipment will mainly be wheelchair users (paraplegics/quadriplegics, amputees, cerebral palsy,

etc.). Since the main equipment the participants need to wear for climbing is a harness, as long as

they have hips they can still participate. For amputees providing adaptive equipment can be
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extremely difficult especially considering a regular

prosthetic can cost anywhere from $5,000 to $50,000

(Tumer, 2009) but since climbing shoes are not

absolutely needed to participate, a prosthetic

climbing foot is not a need. Looking in to

sponsorships, funding and/or donations for future

prosthetic climbing shoes would help the program

out a lot and be great advertisement for it. Renting

can always be an option, but for the future purchasing

Figure 7 The GRIT
Freedom Chair
some gear would be in the programs best interest. Some equipment the program may need to

purchase right away is a figure eight/full body harness or a harness with a swami belt for

individuals who do not have full torso stability and possibly a wheelchair for harder terrain. For

example the new GRIT Freedom Chair that is made for more trickier terrain (figure 7) and is by

far the cheapest all-terrain wheelchair. Another great thing about purchasing the GRIT Freedom

Chair is that it can collapse and be places in the trunk of a vehicle so that the program does not

need to rent a wheelchair friendly vehicle.

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Volunteer Sit Ski Figure eight YATES Big Wheelchair GRIT

Harness/Full Wall Harness Friendly Freedom
Equipment
Body Harness (with Swami Vehicle Chair
Belt)
FREE Approx. Approx $40- Approx. Approx. Approx.
$2,000 $60 for kids $159.00 $133.00/per $2,195.00 -
Approx.
Approx $60- day $2695.00
Cost
$150 for
adults
ORPT - sitski.com - Back Wheelchair GRIT
University - Spokes'n - MEC Country in Motion (kickstarter
Possible
Students Motion - Petzle Gear .com)
Suppliers
(spokesnmoti - YATES
on.com)
The following chart shows approximately how much some of the extra equipment would be and

possible suppliers;

Location Accessibility

This program offers experiences in and around Thunder Bay where some places may not

be as easily accessible to a disabled person as it is for able-bodied people. Luckily there are a

few cliffs that do not have very long or extremely hard terrain. Since regular wheelchairs will not

be able to be pushed on the paths leading to rock climbing cliffs. By purchasing the GRIT

Freedom Chair it will make it much easier for wheelchair users to access the cliffs. Choosing

closer cliffs like Pass Lake and/or Silver Harbour when disabled people wish to participate that

day is important.

In the winter when ice climbing, depending on what the individual is comfortable with,

the access to the ice can be easier with a sit ski. If the individual feels comfortable getting into a
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sit ski, getting to the locations from the road is not a problem. Especially if other staff help

push/pull when and if needed.

Safety/Risk Management

Working with people with disabilities means that there is a greater risk of medical

problems. Even working with able-bodied individuals in outdoor setting can it's risks. Therefore

rewriting the safety/risk management plan to be more inclusive for other possible incidents

regarding people with disabilities is a good idea. Some things to consider in the risk management

plan is the accessibility to the chosen cliff/ice for that day, accessible full first aid kits, making

sure all waivers/forms are fully filled out and signed stating any additional care they will need,

and considering having more staff for days including participants with extra needs.

Conclusion

In conclusion, involving persons with disabilities in all aspects of communities is

becoming reality throughout North America and program providers need to meet the needs of all

possible participants (Smith, Austin, Kennedy, Lee, & Hutchison, 2011). Outdoor Skills and

Thrills is a wonderful new program in Thunder Bay that can be included in involving people

with disabilities to experience rock and ice climbing in Northern Ontario. Outdoor Skills and

Thrills should contribute to the fact that "many studies find that outdoor recreation is an

exceptionally positive step in rehabilitation; it improves self image, increases fitness, reduces

obesity, and produces a more favorable impression of the disabled person by the able-bodied

population" (Owens, 2008). The biggest potential barrier will be financing but as the prices has

been shown above, it is possible to afford and for the other more expensive things can be future
INCLUSIVE RECREATION PLAN
goals. Making Outdoor Skills and Thrills an inclusive program will benefit the program and the
clients overall.
Specific Examples of Possible Cases
Conditio What to do BEFORE the trip
n Rock Climbing
Leg - go over individuals barriers/ limits/
medical needs.
Amputation - find a flat climbing shoe(s) that fits
their prosthetic foot
- rent wheelchair friendly van if
needed (having the GRIT Freedom
Chair will make you save on needing
to rent a van)
- offer the two for one package
Deaf - find out the best way for them to
communicate
- go over individuals barriers/
limits/medical needs.
- offer the two for one package
Blind - find out the best way for them to
communicate
- go over individuals barriers/
limits/medical needs.
- offer the two for one package
Autism - find out the best way for them to
communicate/ socialize
- go over individuals barriers/
limits/medical needs (including things
such as their routine)
- offer two for one package
Paraplegia - go over individuals barriers/
limits/medical needs.
15
Ice Climbing
- go over individuals barriers/
limits/medical needs.
- ask individual about using their one
good leg (if they have one) or finding
ice climbing boots to fit their prosthetic
foot/feet before the trip
- offer the two for one package
- find out the best way for them to
communicate
- go over individuals barriers/
limits/medical needs.
- offer the two for one package
- find out the best way for them to
communicate
- go over individuals barriers/
limits/medical needs.
- offer the two for one package
- find out the best way for them to
communicate/ socialize
- go over individuals barriers/
limits/medical needs (including things
such as their routine)
- offer two for one package
- go over individuals barriers/
limits/medical needs.
INCLUSIVE RECREATION PLAN
- rent wheelchair friendly van if
needed (having the GRIT Freedom
Chair will make you save of needed to
rent a van)
- offer two for one package
Quadriplegi - go over individuals barriers/
limits/medical needs.
a - find a figure eight/ full body harness
that fits them comfortably
- rent wheelchair friendly van if
needed (having the GRIT Freedom
Chair will make you save of needed to
rent a van)
- offer two for one package
Arm/Hand - go over individuals barriers/
Amputation limits/medical needs.
- bring a lot of tape to wrap their
stump
- offer two for one package
16
- rent a wheel chair friendly van if
needed
- go over getting to the ice (using a skit
ski/ stretcher if needed)
- offer the two for one package
- go over individuals barriers/
limits/medical needs.
- find a figure eight/ full body harness
that fits them comfortably
- rent a wheelchair friendly van if
needed
- go over getting to the ice (using a skit
ski/ stretcher if needed)
- offer two for one package
- go over individuals barriers/
limits/medical needs.
- find an adaptive ice took they can use
- offer the two for one package
INCLUSIVE RECREATION PLAN 17

References

Andrew, L., 2014., Get inspired. Disability with no barrier to climbing says 'limbless

mountaineer'. BBC Scotland News Website.

Fishman, A., 2015., Outdoor skills and thrills inc. Experiencing the adventure of northern

ontario., Retrieved from: http://aricfishman.wix.com/tbayclimbing

Grayson, L., N/A, Rock climbing for special needs children in new jersey. Retrieved from:

http://traveltips.usatoday.com/rock-climbing-special-needs-children-new-jersey-

101801.html

Greenspan, S. I., Wieder, S., & Simons, R. (1998). The child with special needs : encouraging

intellectual and emotional growth / Stanley I. Greenspan, Serena Wieder, with Robin

Simons. Reading, Mass. : Perseus Books, c1998.

Miller, K. D., Schleien, S. J., & Lausier, J. (2009). Search for best practices in inclusive

recreation: Programmatic findings. Therapeutic Recreation Journal, 43(1), 27.

(N/A)., 2013., Assistivetech.net. Adaptive rock climbing technologies. Retrieved from:

http://atwiki.assistivetech.net/index.php/Adaptive_Rock_Climbing_Technologies
INCLUSIVE RECREATION PLAN 18

(N/A)., 2015., MEC. Climbing harness. Retrieved from: http://www.mec.ca/shop/?q=fullbody

%20harness

(N/A)., 2015., Wheel chair in motion. Ontario's friendliest accessible van rental company.

Retrieved from: wheelchairinmotion.com/rates/

Reid, J., (N/A). Recreation your way. A resource guild to help facilitate inclusive recreation in

your community. Fredericton, NB. http://www.ala.ca/Images/Provinces%20and

%20Territories/NewBrunswick/RecYourWa yGuide_%2709.pdf

Rooks, M. D. (1997). Rock climbing injuries. Sports medicine, 23(4), 261-270.

Smith, R. W., Austin, D. R., Kennedy, D. W., Lee, Y., & Hutchison, P. (2011). Inclusive and

special recreation.

Tumer, R., (2009)., Disable world; Prosthetics costs., Retrieved from: http://www.disabled-

world.com/assistivedevices/prostheses/prosthetics-costs.php