Midterm Review Study Guide for Intro to TR

Introduction to Legislation Defining Disability

  • The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) defines a person with a disability.
  • Definition of a person with a disability:
    • A person who has a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities.

Types of Impairments

  • Physical Impairment:

    • Defined as a limitation on physical functioning, dexterity, and/or stamina.
    • Includes conditions such as spina bifida, paralysis, amputation, cerebral palsy, and multiple sclerosis.

  • Sensory Impairment:

    • Characterized by impairments affecting the five senses.
    • Vision Impairment:
    • Involves impairments related to the eye, such as scratched cornea, dry eyes, and some diabetes-related issues.
    • Hearing Impairment:
    • Characterized by a full or partial decrease in the ability to detect or interpret sound waves.

  • Spinal Cord Disability:

    • Results from damage to any part of the spinal cord or nerves, often due to severe accidents, leading to permanent changes in strength and sensations below the site of injury.

  • Brain Disabilities:

    • Can occur from traumatic brain injury (TBI) or acquired brain injury (ABI).
    • Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI):
    • Caused by an external force post-birth, including gunshot wounds, vehicle accidents, and falls.
    • Acquired Brain Injury (ABI):
    • Caused by complications such as loss of oxygen shortly after birth.

  • Cognitive or Learning Disabilities:

    • Disabilities impacting memory, attention, reading, etc.

  • Psychological Disorders:

    • Defined by patterns of behaviors or psychological symptoms that affect areas of life, including:
    • Personality Disorders: Daily impairments of activities.
    • Schizophrenia: Disrupted thinking, mood, and behavior.
    • Invisible Disorders: Disabilities that aren't immediately apparent, like chronic illness and diabetes.

Attitudinal Barriers towards Persons with Disabilities (PWD)

  • Historical references to PWD:
    • Menace, object of dread, subhuman, object of ridicule, object of pity, holy innocent, eternal child.
  • Modern attitudes state that the biggest barriers are the attitudes of others.
  • Three ways to change these attitudes:
    • Direct contact, educational programs, and changing the attitudinal environment.

Person First Terminology (PFT)

  • Philosophy that emphasizes the person first and disability second, describing what a person has, not what a person is.
  • Example of PFT: Instead of saying "confined to a wheelchair," use "a person who uses a wheelchair."

Definition of Key Terms

  • Impairment:

    • Loss of abnormality of psychological or anatomical structure, which can include functionality loss (e.g., weakness in lower limbs).

  • Disability:

    • Restriction or lack of ability to perform a normal human activity; may include mobility limitations.

  • Handicap:

    • Disadvantage preventing completion of tasks normal for general humans (e.g., difficulty attending classes due to inaccessible infrastructure).

Communication and Terminology

  • Language in describing PWD: Avoid words indicating suffering and struggle.
  • Preferred terminology includes using phrases like "the person has" instead of phrases that indicate a deficiency.

Dimensions of Health

  • Health: State of complete physical, emotional, mental, and social well-being, not merely the absence of illness.
  • Disease: A group of symptoms related to disease and malfunction, such as cancer and HIV.
  • Illness: The subjective experience related to ill health.

Devaluation and Discrimination

  • Devaluation: Being viewed as lesser or inferior, leading to various forms of discrimination such as:

    • Patronizing actions, jokes, stereotyping, discomfort, fear, preconceived ideas, being seen as special or inspirational to a fault.

  • Prejudice: Preconceived opinion not based on reason or experience, leading to negativity in attitudes toward PWD.

  • Biological Perspective of Devaluation: Disabled individuals historically viewed as threats to survival;

  • Psychosocial Perspective: People tend to minimize or devalue those different from themselves.

  • Politicoeconomic Perspective: PWD are often perceived as burdens.

Barriers to Inclusion

  • Intrinsic Barriers: Constraints caused by one's own limits (e.g., lack of knowledge or skills).
  • Environmental Barriers: Imposed barriers such as stairs preventing access, various forms of environmental hindrances include:
    • Attitudinal, architectural, transportation, economic, educational barriers, lack of trained personnel.

Concept of Inclusion

  • Inclusion: Empowering PWD to become active and valued members of communities through socially valued activities.
  • Four Key Points from NTRS Inclusion Statement:
    • Right to leisure, quality of life, support, assistance, accommodations, and barrier removal.
  • Inclusion is distinguished from merely grouping PWD together in programs and must not disturb the community's natural distribution of individuals with and without disabilities.

Benefits of Inclusive Recreation

  • Enables improvement in self-determined behaviors, friendships, skill practice, social skills, physical functioning, challenges stereotypes, better understanding of PWD, communication skills, and social acceptance.

Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

  • Applies to public services, non-profit organizations, and private enterprises.
  • Reasonable Accommodations:
    • Changes in rules, communication support, additional staffing, removal of architectural barriers.

Normalization and Social Role Valorization

  • Normalization: Enabling a person’s life to be comparable to that of average citizens by fostering integrity and reputation.
  • Social Role Valorization: Using valued means to enable and maintain social roles, which impacts physical, social, and organizational structures.

Professional Development in TR

  • NCTRC: National Council for Therapeutic Recreation Certification, overseeing certified recreation specialists and CEU maintenance.
  • Licensure: Some states require licensure for practicing TR, defining the profession further.
  • Goals of TR: Enhancing functioning through participation, focused on the whole person & long-term improvement.
  • Benefits of TR: Helps clients reach goals, provides choice, promotes control, and yields physical, cognitive, psychosocial, emotional, and spiritual benefits.