MS Outdoor Recreation for Persons with Disabilities

Project Staff: Valerie DeCoux, Rick Green, Earnie Pheal
Funding Agency: U. S. Department of Education
Core Functions: Community training, University training, dissemination of information
Life Span Stages: All

Mission: Initiate a replicable integrated community-based outdoor recreation program targeted toward persons with disabilities. The project is intended to provide skill instruction in recreation activities and develop opportunities for participation in recreation activities conducted in natural environments and integrated/inclusive settings.

Project activities include collaboration with the School of Human Performance and Recreation; Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks, Family YMCAs in south Mississippi; and the Hattiesburg Department of recreation and Community Relations to develop community outdoor recreation opportunities. provision of training and technical assistance to service providers, consumers, and family members to conduct outdoor/nature activities. promotion of the development of interagency community supports for recreation opportunities provision of University training through specialized seminars and field experiences that promote skills related to outdoor recreation.

 

Community/Consumer Involvement: The project is a collaborative effort with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks; the Family YMCAs; and the Hattiesburg Department of Recreation and Community Relations. Representatives from these community agencies and consumers serve in an advisor capacity to the project. The project also links with The ARC, Independent Living Centers, the Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities, vocational rehabilitation counselors, and consumer support groups to ensure a well-informed referral process for the project.

Services offered include:

• In-service training and technical assistance for service providers, consumers and families.

• Interagency Advisory Council development.

• University training.

• Development of model service demonstration sites for inclusive outdoor recreation.

• Dissemination of best practices for the development of a system of community supports.

Community/Client Impact: The project anticipates serving 575 to 1,000 adults with disabilities over three years; 25 percent of these individuals are anticipated to have severe disabilities. New integrated outdoor recreation programs will be developed in three sites and replicated in nine counties in Mississippi. Staff will be trained in best practices for inclusive programming and in procedures for establishing links between community recreation and disability agencies.

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