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 Meggan Davies , Recreation Manager for Inclusion , 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