• Subscribe
  • E-Newsletter
  • Media Kit
  • Contact
  • Login
Campus Rec Magazine
  • Sections
    • Columns
    • Facility Development
    • News
    • Operations
    • Programming
    • Rec of the Month
    • Staff Development
    • Well-being
    • Profiles
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • E-Newsletter
    • Contact Us
  • On-Demand
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier News
    • Supplier Voice
  • Podcast
  • Webinars
  • Education
    • CR Leadership Summit
    • CR Base Camp
    • Pickleball Innovators
  • Buyer’s Guide
No Result
View All Result
  • Sections
    • Columns
    • Facility Development
    • News
    • Operations
    • Programming
    • Rec of the Month
    • Staff Development
    • Well-being
    • Profiles
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • E-Newsletter
    • Contact Us
  • On-Demand
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier News
    • Supplier Voice
  • Podcast
  • Webinars
  • Education
    • CR Leadership Summit
    • CR Base Camp
    • Pickleball Innovators
  • Buyer’s Guide
No Result
View All Result
Campus Rec Magazine
No Result
View All Result
Home News

UCF’s Inclusive Recreation Expo Highlights Adaptive Programs

Bobby Dyer by Bobby Dyer
November 27, 2018
in News, Operations
0
Expo
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on LinkedIn

Inclusivity is an important element of campus recreation, and an increasing number of rec centers are making a concentrated effort to make their facilities more welcoming for all students, regardless of gender, race or background.

In the effort to achieve true diversity in campus recreation, however, there is one demographic in particular that tends to go underserved in fitness: students with disabilities.

“Almost all the time, adaptive recreation and inclusion for people with disabilities are not included in the initiatives for diversity,” said Andrea Snead, the sport clubs coordinator at the University of Central Florida (UCF). “I think it’s one of the most forgotten about areas of diversity, so I wanted to make sure we highlighted it.”

To highlight its various adaptive recreation programs, UCF created the Inclusive Recreation Expo several years ago. And since she stepped into her role in 2014, Snead has taken it upon herself to make the Expo an annual event. “This is the only marquee event adaptive recreation can host each year, so I really look forward to it,” said Snead.

Hosted in the UCF Recreation and Wellness Center, the 2018 Inclusive Recreation Expo featured several activities, including wheelchair basketball, wheelchair rugby, adaptive diving and an adaptive climbing system for ascending the rec center’s rock climbing wall.

UCF’s HAUL system.

“My favorite part of the Expo was when we did the HAUL system demos,” recalled Snead. ”It’s a pulley system we use at our climbing tower to allow folks with disabilities to ascend the height of the tower. While they aren’t technically climbing the tower, they are ascending the height of the tower using their hands and arm strength.”

And this year, UCF took the Expo to the next level. The Inclusive Adaptive Sports Recreation Activities Workshop, an organization local to Orlando, partnered with UCF to add several adaptive programming demonstrations.

“It was the perfect marriage,” said Snead. “It was great having a workshop centered on why it’s important for someone with a disability to be fit and healthy, while highlighting different sports.”

Although the Inclusive Recreation Expo is the main event for Snead and UCF’s adaptive recreation programs, it’s just a showcase for the rec center’s constant pursuit of inclusion for students with disabilities.

And each year, the school’s adaptive recreation participation has improved. “We saw a 47 percent increase in Student-Assisted Workout (SAW) program participation from last year, and I really credit the fact we have so many things available for students with disabilities,” said Snead. “We have a wide range of things available for them — wheelchair basketball, wheelchair tennis, sitting volleyball or many other adaptive sports.”

The Inclusive Recreation Expo is a relatively brief glimpse at UCF’s adaptive recreation and inclusion initiatives, but it is also a demonstration of how the rec center daily welcomes its community of students with disabilities.

“It’s important for students with disabilities to feel included and welcome to use fitness equipment and the facility,” said Snead. “We want students to leave our facility feeling included.”

Stay up to date on industry trends, best practices, news and more.

Tags: Adaptive climbingAdaptive Recreationclimbing wallfeaturedInclusionInclusive RecreationprogrammingUniversity of Central Florida
Previous Post

Octane Fitness Max Trainer® Machine Offers New Way to HIIT

Next Post

The CoRec at Purdue University

Bobby Dyer

Bobby Dyer

Bobby is a former staff writer at Peake Media.

Related Posts

Seven Best Practices for AI Prompt Engineering
Columns

Seven Best Practices for AI Prompt Engineering

June 17, 2025
How USF St. Petersburg is Advancing Sustainable Campus Transportation with Student-Led Initiatives
Operations

How USF St. Petersburg is Advancing Sustainable Campus Transportation with Student-Led Initiatives

April 24, 2025
ai in campus rec
Columns

The AI Imperative: Why, Now and How to Responsibly Use AI in Campus Rec

April 15, 2025
hiring for group fitness programs
Columns

Spring Into Success: How to Streamline Hiring for Group Fitness Programs

March 25, 2025
capital planning
Operations

5 Capital Planning Pitfalls to Avoid

March 19, 2025
hazing
Operations

Prevent Hazing in Campus Recreation

March 19, 2025
Next Post
Purdue University

The CoRec at Purdue University

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Get Updates in your inbox

Stay up to date on industry trends, best practices, news and more.

Facebook Twitter Instagram LinkedIn
Campus Rec Logo

The premier business resource for college and university recreation centers.

The Current Issue

May/June 2025

May/June 2025

Browse

  • Home
  • Subscribe
  • E-Newsletter
  • Podcast
  • Media Kit
  • Contact

© 2025 Campus Rec Magazine. Published by Peake Media.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Sections
    • Columns
    • Facility Development
    • News
    • Operations
    • Programming
    • Rec of the Month
    • Staff Development
    • Well-being
    • Profiles
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • Past Issues
    • Subscribe
    • E-Newsletter
    • Contact Us
  • On-Demand
  • Supplier Insights
    • Brand Voice
    • Supplier News
    • Supplier Voice
  • Podcast
  • Webinars
  • Education
    • CR Leadership Summit
    • CR Base Camp
    • Pickleball Innovators
  • Buyer’s Guide

© 2025 Campus Rec Magazine. Published by Peake Media.