This interactive workshop will discuss providing ‘risk taking’ activities for people with disabilities. Current programs will be highlighted and personal experiences shared. Current literature and research will be discussed. At the completion of the session attendees will: Understand the importance of including risk elements in recreation and leisure. Learn how to shift from being ‘risk adverse’ to ‘risk aware’. Be able to apply the adventure experience paradigm to their current programming. Discuss the therapeutic value of Adventure based programming

1. The Adventure
Paradigm- providing
opportunities for risk
for people with
disabilities.
Inclusion Conference
May 29, 2015
Lisa Hughes

2. About me…..
• Recreation Therapist
• Part time faculty at Fleming College
• Worked in many different settings
• Junior Ranger
• Camp Courageous of Iowa

3. Adventure Experience
Paradigm
• Exploration and Experimentation
• Risk low, competence high
• Adventure
• Competence only slightly higher than risk
• Peak Adventure
• Competence = risk
• Misadventure
• Risk slightly higher than competence
• Devastation and disaster
• Competence is low and risk is high

4. Key Concepts
• Adventure engages the whole person
• Adventure happens in novel settings
• Risks Hazards
• Activities that have uncertain outcomes
• Cooperative Environment
• Unique problem solving
• Feelings of accomplishment
• Processing the experience

5. • Self-perception
• We build this from our experiences, what we do
we believe
• Adventures- deemphasizes the need for language
skills, more ‘lived experience’.
• Self-efficacy
• One’s belief they are capable of success, view
themselves in a positive way, increases
motivation
• Important for generalizations- switching the ‘I
can’t do that’ to ‘I can’
Why Adventure and Risk?

6. Are you……..
Risk
Aware?
Risk
Averse?

7. Do you think this is risky?

8. Do you think this is risky?

9. Do you think this is risky?

10. Do you think this is risky?

11. Do you think this is risky?

12. Are you risk aware or risk
averse?

13. Influences on risk perception
•Media
•Past experience
•Values
•Locus of control
•Relationship to person

14. Tracy Schmitt
• Tracy was born a 4 way amputee
• Bronze medalist as a Paralympian athlete in alpine
[that's downhill] skiing
• Paralympic Sailing Campaign for the 2016 Paralympic
Games in Rio, Brazil

15. You tube video

16. Using Metaphoric Learning
• Spontaneous
Participant will take the experience
and apply on to their life on their own
• Analogous Transference
Facilitator will use debriefing and
questions to help participants apply to
their life
• Structured
Before and after the activities,
Facilitator sets the scene and learning

17. Adventure Experience
Paradigm
• Exploration and Experimentation
• Risk low, competence high
• Adventure
• Competence only slightly higher than risk
• Peak Adventure
• Competence = risk
• Misadventure
• Risk slightly higher than competence
• Devastation and disaster
• Competence is low and risk is high

18. How to provide risk
• Identify hazards (setting, equipment)
• Allow people to try, try and try again
• Adaptions (allow person to find their own)
• Skill development is a continuum
• Start small
• Finish BIG

19. Interesting Reading
• Talking about practice: Adventurous play—
Developing a culture of risky play (NQS PLP e-
Newsletter No.58 2013)
• Universal Adventure Programming: Opening Our
Programs to People With Physical Disabilities
(Journal of Leisurability, Volume 22 Number 2 Spring
1995)

20. What can you do now?
• Take a look at what you are doing?
• Ask! Formally (survey) or informally
(conversations)
• Think universal programming
• Evaluate your equipment or research
what’s available in your area
• Offer or try ONE new thing this month

21. Thank you