An Assessment of Community Attitudes and Behavior to Inclusion of Youth with Disabilities in Youth Sports and Recreational Activities

Attitudes toward inclusion in recreation and leisure activities for youth outside of the school setting are not well studied. Through a survey the author sought to discover more about the attitudes and behaviors of community service providers, businesses and recreational organizations, within the study area to participation of older youth and young adults in leisure and recreational activities provided by the businesses and organizations surveyed. The research was intended to inform curriculum planning for Transition Program teachers within the study area. How participation is affected by stigma associated with disability and its effect on quality of life is discussed. With a response rate of 27.3% of those asked to participate, the researcher found attitudes of acceptance to the inclusion of people with disabilities in the activities being offered by the respondents. Groups engaging in leisure activities of a non-competitive nature were more accepting of the participation of people with disabilities than those engaging in competitive activities. More research is required to determine if the attitudes expressed by the respondents are matched by their behaviors