NSSRA recognizes that some individuals with disabilities would benefit from social opportunities available by participating in programs offered through their local park district or recreation department. Inclusion provides a choice for individuals of varying abilities to experience recreation programming within their community. NSSRA and partner agency staff work closely with the participant and family to provide enriching recreation experiences in the least restrictive environment while maintaining safety and confidentiality.

Inclusion services are offered to residents of NSSRA’ s 13 partner agencies at no additional cost to the family. Inclusion support may come in the form of one or more of the following: program observation, staff training, program modifications / adaptations, modified equipment, and / or an Inclusion companion. An Inclusion companion’ s role is to blend into the program with the partner agency staff while providing the appropriate amount of support to promote independence and growth in the least restrictive environment. A companion can support 1-3 participants( depending on their needs).

Requesting Inclusion Services When registering for a program with one of NSSRA’ s partner agencies:

• Mark the accommodation section of the registration form. This can be indicated in the following ways: Special Accommodations, ADA Information, or Americans with Disabilities Act.

• Once the registration form is submitted, the partner agency will contact the family to discuss the type of Inclusion support needed for the participant.

• The partner agency will provide NSSRA with an Inclusion request that contains both program and participant information.

• The family is then contacted by NSSRA to further discuss the needs of the participant and get input on the type of support needed.

• NSSRA will work with the partner agency to put the necessary Inclusion accommodations in place for participation in the desired program( s).

• Communication between NSSRA, partner agency staff, and the family continues throughout the Inclusion process.

Reasons to Request Inclusion Support

• A parent or family member recognizes that a participant would benefit from additional support in a partner agency program.

• The partner agency staff identifies a need for additional support, for safety and programmatic reasons and communicates this need to the family.

For more information or with questions, contact Manager of Inclusion Meggan Davies at( 847) 509-9400 x6828 or mdavies @ nssra. org.

Deerfield Park District Contact: Linda Anderson( 847) 317-2555 deerfieldparks. org

City of Highwood Contact: Jim Hospodarsky( 847) 971-3956 cityofhighwood. com

Northbrook Park District Contact: Amy Kopecky( 847) 291-2995 nbparks. org

Wilmette Park District Contact: Carol Heafey( 847) 256-9686 wilmettepark. org