Kimberly D. Miller

Using Photovoice to listen to adults with intellectual disabilities on being part of the community

Imagine if you were offered a glance through the lens of a very unique photographer: a member of your community who has an intellectual or developmental disability (ID/DD). A community-based participatory research method, Photovoice, was used to enable seven individuals with ID/DD the opportunity to document their lives through the use of photography and discuss their interests, hopes and dreams. Specifically, this methodology provided them with opportunities to share their concerns about their community access and communicate with the larger community using photographs and the collective ideas of the group. Common themes were revealed among the participants, including their hidden talents, community membership and sense of belonging, consumerism and making choices, desired independence, limited connections to the community and a desire to be treated as adults. Two themes – community membership and desire for independence – are expounded upon, as they appeared to be the most relevant to improving ones quality of life and greater self-determination.

Diffusion of Innovation: A Roadmap for Inclusive Community Recreation Services

Inclusive community recreation is an optimal environment for the development of recreation and sports skills and social relationships between people with and without disabilities. Although we know much about best practices for inclusion, little systemic change in recreation agencies has transpired. Diffusion of Innovation Theory is proposed as a framework for understanding what must occur for inclusive recreation practices to become more systemic throughout community recreation agencies. The theory rests on the premise that aspects such as how quickly an innovation is adopted, by whom, and when are subject to predictable variables based on attributes of the innovation and characteristics of the individual or group of adopters. The theory proposes that once agencies falling into one of the first three groups have adopted an innovation, a “tipping point” is reached. The tipping point is the point after which further diffusion of the innovation becomes self-sustaining. In this case, inclusive recreation would spread quickly until it became standard operating procedure. A thorough understanding of this theory, especially as it relates to characteristics of adopter groups, could potentially provide a roadmap for change agents regarding the roles that they could play to ensure that the tipping point, where people of all abilities have ongoing access to the community, is reached.

Teaming Up for Inclusive Volunteering: A Case Study of a Volunteer Program for Youth with and without Disabilities

Abstract Volunteerism is a recreational activity that may hold the key to greater social inclusion for individuals with disabilities into our communities. Facilitating inclusive volunteering opportunities for youth with and without disabilities has a potential scope of impact that must not be ignored, including benefits to the youth and our communities. A case study of an inclusive youth volunteer program is described. Outcomes for participants included increased knowledge of volunteerism, increased social interaction, and psychosocial outcomes such as increased belief in self and increased sense of responsibility. The feasibility and sustainability of inclusive volunteer programs, as well as future programming and research needs are also discussed.