Paradigms In Special And Inclusive Recreation

             A lot of the time, these paradigms are traditional thoughts that have very slowly, if ever, changed. An industry where the common paradigms need shifting would be in the present special and inclusive recreation practices.
             Much of the outdoor recreation industry is dominated by the common thought that recreational needs are easily achieved. Recreational programs do not set out to make people feel excluded, but I think that is what happens in most cases with special populations. If the program is not specifically designed to be inclusive, many individuals may feel that it is not the right activity to participate in. Many things need to be considered for the program to be accessible to the majority of the population. Financial needs, of the program and the participant, as well as accessibility, skills needed and social interaction are all various aspects of programs that need to be considered when programming. Recreational professionals are attempting to make the field more inclusive, but all the study's that we read about in class were not very successful. They all came up with the same paradigm that the outdoor recreation field is dominated by able bodied, white, upper class individuals. As much as we try to stray from this image, unless a very direct effort is made, it is going to be very hard. .
             These paradigms are very limiting towards social justice issues in outdoor recreation. We are trying to achieve ultimate inclusion, but a lot of the case study's proved that people within a minority chose to participate in activity's specifically including their population group. More specifically, the gay and lesbian section of the course suggested this in both readings. People in this population group are choosing programs that are specifically for gay populations. They choose to be in activities where they know other homosexual individuals will be involved. .
             If this is the case, then what makes the able bodied, straight, white upper classmen think that everyone wants to be a part of their group? This question has been a common thought to me all throughout this course.