July 8-15 Is National Therapeutic Recreation Week!

by | Jul 9, 2012 | All Blogs

runningThe second week of July is here, and that means it’s National Therapeutic Recreation Week!  The National Therapeutic Recreation Society (NTRS) sets aside this week every year to raise awareness of therapeutic recreation programs and services for individuals with disabilities.  Therapeutic Recreation can aid a wide range of clients in Geriatric, Pediatric, Physical Therapy fields, and more.

Here are a few suggestions the NTRS has to make the most out of your Therapeutic Recreation activities. What activities do you plan on participating in this week?

    1. Speak before your town board or city council about accessible recreation needs.
    2. Request to have your local leaders proclaim “National Therapeutic Recreation Week.”
    3. Plan a community disability awareness event.
    4. Organize an “Olympics Day”: Have events such as speed walking (or rolling), a softball throw, a golf putt, Frisbee toss, basketball shoot-out, playing card toss and other activities.
    5. Present to co-workers on the benefits of therapeutic recreation.
    6. Organize a team-based tournament event involving people with disabilities.
    7. Print up flyers and pamphlets with leisure education activities on them to hand out to co-workers and friends.
    8. Hold an open house and workshop on therapeutic recreation for local health care professionals.
    9. Organize a coaches’ seminar on recreational inclusion and the benefits of sports for youth with disabilities.
    10. Organize a community “Buddy Walk” for persons with disabilities and a community partner. Promote inclusion and health lifestyles.
    11. Organize an event for a panel discussion in which people who have benefited from therapeutic recreation may share their success stories.
    12. Organize a barrier-free day to promote the importance of removing barriers for people with disabilities from participating.
    13. Write a press release on National Therapeutic Recreation Week and submit to your local media.
    14. Invite equipment vendors to demonstrate adaptive recreation equipment (such as hand bikes and upper body exercisers) and ask them to help you explain simple modifications that can enhance a recreation program’s accessibility for everyone.
    15. Invite community parks and recreation staff to an open discussion on including people with disabilities in their program planning.