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Canadian Practices in Inclusive Recreation

Inclusion and Access for Canadians with Disabilities

Alberta Recreation and Parks Association

ARPA actively supports inclusion and access for persons with disabilities in its education and training programs for members and stakeholders. Content and skill development in inclusion and access are a top priority in ARPA’s education and training initiatives, including the Annual ARPA Conference and…

Association Québécoise pour le Loisir des Personnes Handicapées

AQLPH works closely with the Québec Office for Persons with Disabilities (OPHQ or Office des personnes handicapées du Québec) which is a government agency that helps increase the social participation of people with disabilities through policies, research, and the development of resources and programs, such as Parcours sans obstacle and…

British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association

BCRPA’s annual conferences feature content specific to inclusion and access, such as adaptive programming, welcoming people of different abilities, creating inclusive environments, and trends in building and equipment design to increase access for people with disabilities. The planning groups also consider the physical layout, taking into consideration physical inclusion, such as wheelchair access…

Northwest Territories Recreation and Parks Association

The NWTRPA is actively working to provide recreation leaders and community members with tools and strategies to create programs that are accessible and inclusive to all residents in the Northwest Territories. Access and inclusion have been a consistent theme at NWTRPA conferences in recent years…

Parks and Recreation Ontario

In Ontario, there are programs designed specifically for individuals with a disability, but PRO also emphasizes the importance of programs that are inclusion-based, with individuals of all abilities welcome. Currently, children are the major focus of the delivery of programs for individuals with disabilities within the municipal recreation system…

Recreation and Parks Association of Nunavut

RPAN’s programs (e.g., summer day camps, multi-sport camps, after-school programs) include staff training to ensure an inclusive environment is created for all children and youth. Through the current training and resources provided by RPAN, camp staff members are taught activities and games that highlight inclusion…

Recreation and Parks Association of the Yukon

RPAY supports inclusive opportunities through the Rural Healthy Eating Active Living (RHEAL) Leader and Winter Active for Life (WAFL) programs. These are designed to increase opportunities for physical activity and to increase equity for vulnerable and/or disadvantaged populations…

Recreation Manitoba

Every employee in the office of Recreation Manitoba is trained to comply with the Accessibility Standard for Customer Service as part of the Accessibility for Manitobans Act. Various conference sessions in Recreation Manitoba’s annual meeting are offered on the importance of accessibility and inclusion in programming…

Recreation New Brunswick

Recreation NB has an Inclusive Recreation Committee that seeks to address the lower levels of physical activity participation observed among individuals with an intellectual disability, by breaking down barriers and connecting individuals to various recreation opportunities within the community…

Recreation Newfoundland and Labrador

RNL has two inclusion advisory committees – Recreation NL Inclusion Advisory Committee and Recreation and Sport for Persons with a Disability Initiative. Staff work in partnership with provincial and federal governments on para sport and inclusive recreation, which enhances capacity and allows for a broader scope of practice overall…

Recreation Nova Scotia

RNS recognizes that inclusion and access must be the cornerstone from which to build recreation programs and service delivery. Programming for individuals with a disability starts with community advocates. RNS has an active Inclusion and Access Task Team, and has co-hosted a summit on access and inclusion, called “Confronting the Challenges to Access”…

Recreation Prince Edward Island

Recreation PEI uses their website, newsletter, and social media platforms to act as an information hub for anyone interested in recreation and physical activity. The organization promotes opportunities for programs, resources, and training that are available, including information on inclusion…

Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association

In addition to incorporating sessions and keynotes into their Annual Conferences, SPRA is responsible for the allocation and monitoring of approximately $2.5 million dollars annually in grant funding support, generated through Saskatchewan Lotteries, to 33 Provincial Recreation Associations…