Recreation Services

The MontroseAccess Recreation Service is currently only available to MontroseAccess clients for the purpose of meeting therapy goals. The Recreation Department aims to provide wholesome community and centre-based recreational experiences in both individual and group settings. All programmes aim to broaden the client’s recreational perspective, making it possible with a small amount of assistance for their ultimate participation in any activity. There are Recreation Officers employed at each of our three MontroseAccess offices.

The programmes facilitated by Recreation Officers include Camps, Individual Leisure Counselling, Regional and Centre-based Groups and Holiday Activity Programmes.

Recreation Camps

The Recreation Department offers a number of age and condition based camps each year. Each camp programme is designed to meet a number of specific goals, usually negotiated with the family and therapy teams.

Camps provide our clients with the opportunity to participate in activities that other people may take for granted or that they would not otherwise be able to enjoy. Quite often, our clients miss out on attending a school camp because of the difficulties of catering for the needs of a child with a disability. Activities on the programme can include active outdoor recreation pursuits such as flying foxes, orienteering, sports and games as well as more passive indoor pursuits such as shopping and arts & crafts.

MontroseAccess is not always able to meet the demand for attendance at camps in the particular age groups so clients are invited to submit an expression of interest to attend a camp. Recreation Officers use objective guidelines to decide who can attend, based on some of the following outcomes:

• Increase independence of clients
• Increase willingness of clients to separate from parents
• Provide clients with opportunity to participate in new activities
• Foster development of social networks between clients
• Provide respite to families and clients
• Provide a positive leisure experience for clients
• To provide opportunity and setting for individual goals to be met and
• Most importantly, to have fun.
  

Leisure Counselling

This is an individualised service for clients as part of their Therapy Services Individual Plan. It is available for those children who require assistance to participate in leisure, recreation or sports activities within their local communities.

Children with physical disabilities may need assistance with creating their leisure opportunities for the following reasons:

• They may be socially isolated
• They may not know how to access sporting/ recreational organisations in their area
• They may assume they are unable to participate in a particular activity because of their disability
• Their families may need education and support
• The community organisations which offer leisure activities may need education and support to include the child

Holiday Programmes

Throughout the second week of the June and September School Holidays and across the Christmas School Break, the Recreation Department offers a programme of Holiday Activities.

These activities are tailored to meet the needs and interests of specific groups and the general MontroseAccess caseload. Prior bookings for these programmes are essential.

Activities vary and often include both centre based and offsite programmes. Past activities have included Movie and Pizza days, cooking days, art and craft activities, Dive in Discos, outings to parks, the science centre, Queensland Museum, fishing and shopping.

Regional and Centre Based Groups

The Recreation Department offers a range of regional and centre based group activities. These groups are formed to meet the needs a particular category of MontroseAccess clients or to provide an alternative recreation opportunity for clients in a particular geographical area.

Groups are often formed with the assistance of therapists who work in the region and often aim to help clients meet therapy goals. Groups which currently operating to meet therapeutic goals include Boy's Group at Corinda and the Gold Coast, Girl's Group at Corinda, and Playgroup at Corinda. More groups are anticipated in the future to meet the demands of our regional centres and client demographics.

Participation in the Sector

MontroseAccess Recreation Officers also have an advocacy role for people with disabilities. Their goal is to make the pursuit of leisure for people with physical disabilities more accessible and much easier.

They specifically support MontroseAccess clients to attend leisure camps and outings as part of their school curriculum, in addition to advocating better internal and external access at campsites in south east Queensland. They work with established specialised sporting groups and assist where needed in forming new groups.

Windward Passage

MontroseAccess owns two holiday units at Windward Passage that have been specifically designed for people with physical disabilities.

Suggestions?

If you have any ideas for improving leisure for people with disabilities or wish to make a comment about our program, do not hesitate to contact the Recreation Team.