February 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 24

Member to Member

Last year, these WDSRA participants traveled
to Mesa, Arizona, to the spring training camp
for the Chicago Cubs.

joy a vacation of their own while Lisa is
on her next trip. It will be the first time in
a long time they have been able to do that.

cause staff know each individual, they
can watch for and manage the various
behaviors that can arise among a group
of 18. They also want to encourage everyone to participate in the activities.
Knowing what type of encouragement
each person responds to best and how
far to push him or her outside of his or
her comfort zones only comes because
of those relationships.
" One of the highlights of our Caribbean trip was to swim with stingrays, "
recalls Meyer. " One participant was adamant about not doing it. After watching
her friends and the fun they were having,
staff were able to coax her into the water.
She eventually found herself among the
stingrays, laughing and smiling the entire
time. It was the highlight of her trip! "
The ability to be a little more adventurous is a huge benefit Meyer sees participants
come back with. " They learn to try something new and find out they don't have to
stick to their routine all the time. They begin
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Parks & Recreation

to experience another level of success that
they can take with them in everything else
they do. They also realize that they don't
always need their parents nearby to be successful. The accomplishments they have on
the trip are theirs alone, " she explains.
Relishing Family Respite
Another important aspect to each trip is
the impact it can have on the family. Family members are often " on duty 24/7 " as
caregivers. They are the family chauffeur,
cook, teacher, playmate, etc., and respite
comes in short, brief bursts. But, when
their adult traveler can go on an overnight, three-day or seven-day trip, it offers
a much-needed break for everyone.
Camper looks forward to each trip
Grant takes because it is the only time she
is " off duty. " She doesn't have to manage
Grant's schedule or drive him to programs or work. For a few wonderful days,
she can enjoy time to herself. Nada and
Chris, Lisa's parents, are planning to en-

| F E B R UA R Y 2 0 1 8 | W W W. PA R K S A N D R E C R E AT I O N . O R G

Getting Started
Can you offer a trips program to your
residents with cognitive and physical
disabilities? If social equity and inclusion for all your residents is a goal, then
moving toward these types of offerings
can make a huge difference in the way
community members with cognitive and
physical disabilities are able to recreate.
While not as easy as simply adding another trip to your program calendar, it
can be done with a few considerations.
Hiring Knowledgeable Staff - Hiring a
seasoned staff member with an extensive
background in working with people with a
wide range of intellectual and/or physical
disabilities in a community setting is a must.
They should be comfortable with the dayto-day operations of vacationing with people with cognitive and physical disabilities,
know how to manage a range of behaviors
and be experienced in handling any medical
situation that may arise. They will need to
evaluate and prepare accommodations for
each person with the goal of giving everyone the same exceptional experience.
Building the Trust Factor - How can parents come to entrust their loved one on
your trip like they do with WDSRA? Start
by offering smaller programs. It could be
anything you are currently offering now
but with accommodations made for people with cognitive and physical disabilities. The benefit is two-fold. First, you
will gain the knowledge and experience
in programming for this segment of the
community. Give yourself time to understand and learn what families need and
expect so you can deliver the same quality
programming you are already delivering

February 2018 - Parks & Recreation

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