Allison Qualls

Personal Philosophy
RMP 800
Professor Cindy Hartman
December 12, 2022
 Personal Philosophy Statement

Leisure is like clay; it is adaptable to the person who is forming it through their own

experiences and definitions. Its uses have an infinity of options, and while it may not be

beneficial for one person in the form that it has been presented. Another individual can take what

resonates with them and mold leisure to fit their needs. Leisure can be seen as passing time,

exercising choice, escaping pressure and achieving fulfillment (Watkins & Bond, 2007, p. 295).

Leisure can also help individuals find identity, creativity, connectedness, harmony/balance,

stress-coping and healing, growth/transformation, and be experiential and existential through

leisure (Iwasaki, 2017, p. 230). As individuals we search for identity, connection, and freedom.

The quote, “If you are losing your leisure, look out; you may be losing your soul” by Logan

Pearsall Smith, reflects this. I have seen the clients that I work with regain their soul when they

find the leisure activity that brings life to their lives. For example, I had a client who used a fill-

in the blank poetry exercise to process their emotions of a terrible experience. It was a healthy

way to express their hurt and pain. In these situations, I provide the clay and the opportunity for

the client to form or destroy and try again to define leisure their own way. Leisure should be an

individual’s choice, a human right, healing, inclusive, and accessible.

At times I may be at odds with the leisure field when it comes to inclusion. While we

have made progress since the passing of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, we are still

struggling to make sure that leisure is accessible, especially when we consider adaptive sports or

an inclusive outdoors. Inclusion of individuals with disabilities must be seen as an important

issue for recreation companies. This means taking time and money to become trained in

providing more inclusive programming. For individuals with disabilities, they have a limited

choice of leisure because of social constructs. Leisure should be a choice of the person’s freewill
to participate in an activity that has no added outside pressure from others and as a professional,

that is what I hope to provide (Stebbins, 2005, p. 350).

Human Rights are rights that everyone is entitled to base on their humanity (Veal, 2015,

p. 249). However, leisure has not always been a human right to different groups who have

different abilities, race, gender, sexual identity, and economy. While the field of Therapeutic

Recreation needs to be aware of these different groups, my focus is on the accessibility and

inclusion of individuals with disabilities in leisure opportunities. As a Certified Therapeutic

Recreation Specialist (CTRS) it is my job and joy to bring leisure and recreation to the clients

that I serve no matter their ability. If a client wants to participate in a sport program, it is my job

and duty to advocate for their innate right to participate with their peers and help them adapt in

order to make that leisure activity accessible. Cindy Dillenschneider’s article “Integrating

Persons with Impairments and Disabilities into Standard Outdoor Adventure Education

Programs,” shows the power in using a positive approach to inclusive programming.

Dillenschneider (2007), gives principles for accommodating all students and these are principles

I hope to take into my practice (p. 77-80). These principles include:

1. "Communicate with students about the fundamental activities and environments

they will experience.”

2. “Always have the person with the impairment assist the instructors in

understanding his or her actual needs and strengths.”

3. “Commit to possibility thinking.”

4. “Provide appropriate, high-quality, and individualized supports.”

5. “Do no harm.”
As professionals in the leisure field, we have resources and qualifications to make leisure the

human right it was always truly meant to be especially when we "commit to possibility thinking”

(p. 78).

A quote that speaks to me is “In our leisure we reveal what type of people we are” by

Ovid. Relating back to the beginning of this statement, clay will reveal weak construction by

collapsing in on itself and if we do not have a solid construction of our leisure, it will reveal who

we are. If we do not allow leisure to be moldable, we are denying individuals the opportunity to

inclusive, accessible, and healing leisure. Leisure is a powerful tool of identity and as a CTRS’ I

think my leisure reveals that as a professional I am adaptable, connected and creative.

 References

Dillenschneider, C. (2007). Integrating persons with impairments and disabilities into standard

outdoor adventure education programs. Journal of Experiential Education, 30(1), 70-83.

Iwasaki, Y. (2016). Leisure and meaning-making: Implications for rehabilitation to engage

persons with disabilities. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 46, 225-232.

Stebbins, R.A. (2005). Choice and experiential definitions of leisure. Leisure Sciences, 27, 349-

352.

Veal, A.J. (2015). Human rights, leisure, and leisure studies. World Leisure Journal, 57(4), 249-

272.

Watkins, M. & Bond, C. (2007). Ways of experiencing leisure. Leisure Sciences, 29(3), 287-307.