Changing the narrative! Improving participation in outdoor recreation activities by providing resources for accessible, inclusive, and safe outdoor engagement.

INCLUSIVITY

The resources in the following tabs facilitate supplies, strategies, and guidance for anybody and everybody to comfortably access and stay at campgrounds. Use this as a guide to achieve your next adventure!

As an inclusive profession, occupational therapy maximizes health, well-being, and quality of life for all people, populations, and communities through effective solutions that facilitate participation in everyday living (AOTA, 2024).

American Occupational Therapy Association Vision 2025:

ADVOCACY

Everyone deserves equal opportunity, accessibility, and functionality in outdoor environments, including camping (AOTA, 2020). Advocating for improved accessibility and resources is beneficial for all communities. This involved understanding the rationale of the needs, strengths, and benefits of outdoor camping. I explored improving the engagement in camping for people of all ages and abilities by analyzing lived experiences and perspectives of campers of all ages and abilities.

HOW TO TAILOR YOUR CAMPING EXPERIENCE

Look through the different types of camping and identify what resonates with you the most! Comfort and safety are key. Don't feel pressured or judged into a type of camping, there are many ways to sleep in the wild and experience the health benefits. Camping is not a one type fits all journey so keep trying until something feels just right!

These are recommendations made by my fellow campers to improve your camping experience:

1. Bring the comforts from home ex. extra cushion, delicious food, camper chairs, pillows, blankets, hand warmers, etc.

2. Teamwork! Bring your family or friends to make the transition and assembly of site easier

3. Plan your trip and familiarize yourself with the campground before it gets dark

4. Have a map! There is usually spotty or no cell signal so printing a map of the campground or hiking trails near by will be helpful

5. Prepare and organize supplies and meals beforehand

WHAT CAN CAMPGROUNDS DO?

As people age, camping can become more difficult and uncomfortable decreasing participation in their meaningful occupation (Zerbo-Šporin, 2019).

Campers made suggestions to campground entities on strategies to make sites more accessible and comfortable for all:

1. Extra assistance on site to help transport, assemble, and disassemble gear

2. Gear that is available on-site to reduce the physical and mental stress of bringing gear from home

3. A handful of sites that are already assembled when campers arrive

4. Clearly marked paths to facilities

5. More signs with bigger and brighter fonts to improve navigation around grounds

6. Increased lighting or reflective marked paths leading to sanitary facilities

7. Improving maintenance of sites to make sure each site is cleared of obstacles

8. Certain sections of ground can be more of a "commissary" for the aging population

9. Medical equipment on sites or in all sanitary facilities

10. More glamping opportunities