Matthew R. Corso, CPRP

A special recreation cooperative is formed by 2 or more park districts/villages who want to join together to provide recreation programs for their residents with disabilities. There are 28 special recreation cooperatives that serve 199 Illinois communities.

Arts & Crafts Athletics Sport Competition Dance Social Clubs Day Camps Away Camps Music Special Olympic Training Community Trips Fitness Skill Development Vacation trips Outdoor education Wheelchair sports

Attention Deficit Disorder Alzheimers Disease Autism Behavior Difficulties Developmental Delays Down Syndrome Epilepsy Hearing Impairments Learning Disabilities Mental Impairments Mental Illness Multiple Impairments Physical Impairment Visual Impairments

Play is essential to the human development process

Increased physical fitness Increased appropriate socialization skills Exposure to new activities the kids would have never been exposed to before Visit new places and learn new skills Increased self esteem Increased conflict resolution skills Learn and practice life skills

I get to meet new people and make new friends. I learned how to interact with others. I feel good about myself when I dress up for a dance. Etc., etc., etc.

Please use the list I provided and locate your community. If your town is listed, then contact the appropriate SRA

If your community is not listed, you should call the nearest SRA for information and contact your park district or recreation department and let them know you are interested in receiving services. A near-by SRA may accept non-residents.

Call you local park district or village recreation department and ask to speak to the director. Identify yourself as a resident who is seeking services for someone with special needs. Many park districts and villages have not been contacted by their citizens and therefore may not think there is a need to provide recreation services for their residents with disabilities. If there is a near-by special recreation association, you can contact the director to ask for assistance in talking with your park district and village officials.

That leads me to the next important topic…Inclusion!

If your community belongs to an SRA, that SRA may provide inclusion services. Inclusion allows individuals with disabilities to participate in the same recreation programs and activities as their peers. Reasonable accommodations are provided to enable an individual's successful participation in a program. These accommodations will vary depending on the needs of the individual and they may include a simple program modification by the instructor or a staff member assigned to work with the individual on a one-to-one basis.

It allows residents a greater choice of activities. It also allows all residents to learn about one another as they participate together regardless of any individual's needs.

Basically, you register your child in the program at the park district and be sure to let the staff member know that your child has special needs. The park district will then contact the SRA who serves their residents. The SRA staff or park district staff will then contact the parents to learn more about what needs their child may require to help them participate successfully in the program. Then those accommodations are set up and the individuals participates in the program

It shouldnt. The Americans With Disabilities requires park districts to serve all residents and reasonable accommodations must be made to make that happen.