‘I Can Do That’ or Setting-Up and Running a Leisure Activities Course

This article describes an experimental course organised by the Department of Occupational Therapy, Liverpool Institute of Higher Education, which was aimed at broadening the knowledge of occupational therapy students and enabling them to enjoy first-hand experience of leisure-time activities and facilities available in the community. The course was started during the first year of training and the emphasis was placed on the facilities available, with brief factual reference to the modifications which might be required for handicapped users. The results were not analysed in any systematic statistical manner, but tabulated simply from the findings and impressions of the students. Evaluation of the course was undertaken by college staff in terms of its value in the overall pattern of training, in extending students' experience and in adding to their knowledge of local facilities, thus increasing their perception of leisure pursuits for handicapped people.