Examining Experiences of Campus Recreation Staff Who Serve College Students With Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities (IDD): A Special Olympics Unified Sports® Study

Abstract

Recreation and sports participation can produce social health benefits for college students with intellectual and/or developmental disabilities (IDD). Despite growing numbers of college students with IDD on college campuses, literature exploring inclusion within campus recreation is limited. To understand the inclusion, or lack thereof, of college students with IDD in campus recreation, experiences and attitudes of campus recreation staff ( N = 24) were examined. A mixed methods study design, including web-based surveys and semi-structured interviews was used to collect data from participants at three North American universities. Results of Multivariate Analysis of Variance and thematic analysis revealed successes, challenges, and barriers among campus recreation staff for implementing inclusion. A significant difference in perception of campus as being more inclusive between the university with Unified Sports affiliated with Special Olympics club and the university with Unified Sports affiliated with the university was also identified. Lastly, resources and strategies for inclusion were revealed as a need.