Relationship Enhancement for the Disabled Community through Exercise

The average person has a wide variety of people in his/her life that have the title of friend. By definition, a friend is an ally, or someone with whom you share mutual trust, support, and an emotional bond. Good friends are a necessary part of life and help us to define who we are and allow us to remain true to our character. For the average person, finding and developing friendships happens naturally. Two people meet at an event they both enjoy, strike up a conversation and a friendship begins. For individuals with disabilities, developing friendships with that type of ease is unlikely.

Community Barriers
Intrinsically, people tend to shy away from others that seem different than they are. It is not uncommon for people to gawk at an individual with special needs rather than approach them to exchange pleasantries. Far too often, people see the disability before they see the person and unfortunately it takes a conscious effort to change that way of thinking. The difficulty for those with disabilities to form friendships is apparent if a person without disabilities does not see the value the person with special needs has to offer.

Family Matters
For a person with disabilities, family and caregivers may be the only source of friendship. It is common for those with special needs to interact mostly with family, as they are the most trusted people in their lives. Those with disabilities may rely heavily on family for emotional, physical, medical and financial support. In essence, the familial relationship is the core source of what the disabled individual deems as a friendship. Certainly, family is extremely important for anyone, whether they are disabled or not, but relationships outside the family must be sought out in order to provide balance and help the individual explore other areas of his/her personality that may not necessarily appear in a family setting.

Creating Friendships
Opportunities to develop friendships are rare for an individual with disabilities. Since many people with special needs rely on family or caregivers for much of their daily itinerary, it may be that the family has planned too much of the person's life and not taken into consideration the fact that the person with special needs may wish to socialise outside of the home. The best thing that a family member or caregiver can do is to seek out opportunities for the individual with special needs so as to help develop and encourage new friendships.

Friendship Building through Fitness
One way people tend to meet new people and form friendships is through physical fitness, whether running a marathon or putting together a golf outing. For people with special needs, an inclusive recreational program is available and caters to those with intellectual and behavioural issues, as well as minor mobility issues. While the main goal is to promote an atmosphere with tailor made recreational programs for those with special needs, a secondary goal is to encourage socialisation which will help develop the sought after friendships those with special needs are so yearning for.

A4D is a leading fitness and social based activity provider that caters to those with disabilities and behavioural problems. You can find more information at Activities 4 the Disabled.