Exploring Inclusion of College Students with Intellectual and/or Developmental Disabilities (IDD) Within Campus Recreation Among Administrators and Staff

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. Investigating inclusion of college students with IDD within campus recreation is necessary to ensure that the many benefits of campus recreation are available to all college students, including those with IDD. To examine the feelings, beliefs, and intentions of campus recreation staff in regard to individuals with IDD and inclusive service delivery, and to examine the presence or absence of best practices for inclusive service delivery that shape the overall cultural context of campus recreation departments in regard to disability inclusion, campus recreation staff (n = 98) and directors of campus recreation (n = 6) were surveyed. A cross-sectional, non-experimental study design, including web-based surveys was used to collect data from campus recreation staff and the directors at six North American universities. Results revealed feelings, beliefs, and intentions of campus recreation staff across the six universities, as well as the presence and absence of best practices for inclusive service delivery within each university. The correlation analysis demonstrated significant relationships between intentions and the average scores of 11 variables. Subsequently, regression analysis identified efficacy beliefs, normative beliefs about behavior, and attitudes toward autonomy as significant predictors of campus recreation staff's intentions.