ABSTRACT
This chapter considers various models of disability; some philosophical reasoning behind the inclusion of people with disabilities (PwD) in the outdoors; some of the practical issues associated with their involvement; and suggests a range of alternative models for inclusion of PwD into outdoor programmes. It argues that some research into the impact participation has on the lives of disabled people, and opportunities for further investigation. D. Richardson reminds us that: Disabled persons participate in outdoor adventure activities not for their therapeutic benefits but for the same reasons as do able bodied people – for enjoyment, a love of the natural environment, a feeling of accomplishment and the opportunity to overcome natural obstacles and test their own limits. The inclusion of PwD in the same activities as their peers offers those with disabilities a degree of normalisation that helps reduce the stigmatisation of disabled people. The inclusion of PwD into an outdoor programme will invariably have an impact on that programme.
