The number of people with disabilities in Canada is growing. It is estimated that about 850,000 children in Canada have a disability (Policy Options, 2023). The 2022 Canadian Survey on Disability found that 27% of Canadians who are over the age of 15 (about eight million people) have at least one disability that affects their daily activities (Statistics Canada, 2023). In addition, 42% of seniors, aged 65 years and older, had four or more coinciding disabilities, while pain related (68%), mobility (63%) and flexibility (59%) were the most common type of disabilities for this demographic (Statistics Canada, 2024).

People with disabilities often have fewer chances to enjoy sports and activities compared to others. This is because they face many barriers, such as physical, social, and emotional challenges (Martin Ginis et al., 2021; Xu et al., 2020; Arbour-Nicitopoulos et al., 2021). These barriers can make it hard for them to feel like they belong in their communities. Sometimes, they are excluded from regular recreation programs and have to participate in separate facilities (Dattilo et al., 2019; Mobily & Johnson, 2021).

A survey led by Engage Nova Scotia in 2019 found that people with disabilities are much less likely to exercise regularly or use community facilities such as recreation centres and parks. They also find it harder to get to these places and often say that the cost of programs stops them from joining in.

People with disabilities want to enjoy recreational activities with their friends and family, or in places close to home. Researchers believe that making recreational environments more inclusive is important. This means creating spaces where everyone can participate together, regardless of their abilities (Strumbo et al., 2011; Gallant et al., 2019).

National plans have also emphasized the need for change. For example, the Public Health Agency of Canada has a plan called “Let’s Get Moving” that aims to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary living. This plan encourages communities to work with people who face challenges, such as physical disabilities, mental health issues, or other barriers, to make sure everyone can be active. In addition, the Framework for Recreation in Canada (Canadian Parks and Recreation Association/Interprovincial Sport and Recreation Council, 2015) suggests ways to make recreation more accessible to people who face obstacles. This includes making sure that everyone, regardless of their abilities, can participate in recreational activities.

This guide outlines the first set of promising and best practices for persons with disabilities since the Municipal Government Policy Guidelines (no longer in print) were published in 1991 by the Canadian Parks and Recreation Association with the assistance of Dr. Renée Lyons.

Across Canada, many municipalities aim to provide recreational activities for all residents, including those with disabilities. This involves using Universal Design principles to make outdoor spaces accessible and training staff to support inclusion. By offering both structured and unstructured recreational opportunities, municipalities can help people feel a sense of belonging, enjoy activities, have choices, and feel free. This contributes to a better quality of life for everyone (Dattilo et al., 2019; Mobily & Johnson, 2021).

Municipal governments can play many important roles in making their communities vibrant and accessible. They can act as service providers, leaders, champions, partners, employers, investors, or conveners. This is because municipalities are close to people and can raise awareness about important social issues in their communities (Torjman & Leviten-Reid, 2003). In addition, municipalities must think about accessibility when designing new buildings, fixing parks or trails, planning land use, and setting up programs and services (Department of Justice, 2018; Kovac, 2019).

As more municipalities across Canada work toward these goals, this guide offers helpful ideas and recommendations. These ideas can help reduce unnecessary work and improve the quality of recreational activities for everyone.

In 2024, a group called the Consensus Panel was formed. This group included community representatives, municipal staff, researchers, and people with disabilities. They met online on March 7, 2024, to discuss the project and what the guide was supposed to achieve. Later, they met in Ottawa from September 24 to 25, 2024, to review the information collected and the first draft of the guide. Between these meetings, the group was surveyed several times to gather more opinions and feedback on the guide’s purpose, evidence, and draft.

We appreciate the time and expertise that the Consensus Panel members contributed to this project.

In 2024, three focus groups were held to understand how well recreational activities are available for people with disabilities in Canada. Twenty people participated in these sessions, including five people with disabilities, five caregivers, and ten staff members from municipal recreation departments. These participants came from 18 different municipalities across five provinces: Ontario, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, and Alberta. The goal of these sessions was to learn about the current state of recreational opportunities for people with disabilities.

Three main themes came out of these discussions:

1. Bureaucratic Hurdles and Resistance to Change
2. Advocacy and Personal Solutions
3. Improving Municipal Support

In addition to the focus groups, three rapid scoping reviews were conducted. (A rapid scoping review is a way to quickly gather and summarize existing research from various sources, including academic databases and internet searches.) These reviews focused on three main areas:

1. Creating an Inclusive Workplace Culture
2. Developing Inclusive Programs
3. Improving Accessibility in Buildings and Outdoor Spaces

For workplace culture and management, over 90 practices were categorized into four areas:

1. Accommodations
2. Workplace Documents
3. Human Resources-Related Practices
4. Interpersonal Engagement

For inclusive programming, the review identified over 90 practices that were grouped into four areas:

1. Assessing and Building Capacity
2. Involving Key Parties in Program Development
3. Program Mix and Logistics
4. Program Implementation

Finally, for making the built environment more accessible, over 60 practices were identified and grouped into three categories:

1. Creating Momentum
2. Assessing Current Conditions
3. Implementing Audit Recommendations

After gathering information from the focus groups and rapid scoping reviews, researchers created an initial draft of the guide based on the evidence collected from these sources. The Consensus Panel then reviewed the draft and provided additional guidance. Next, the draft was sent to municipalities across Canada for feedback through a survey. Based on the feedback received, changes were made to the guide.