Studies show that students who participate in afterschool activities have higher academic achievement, improved social competence, higher aspirations, and other benefits, compared with students who do not. Sound familiar? The news is that youth with disabilities benefit even more than the non-disabled.

According to the Afterschool Alliance, “Afterschool gives children with special needs the chance to experience meaningful and authentic belonging … It offers the chance to engage with their non-disabled peers in a way not often possible during the regular school day. “Unfortunately, youth who have activity limitations or mental disabilities - special needs youth - often have less access to afterschool programs and other recreation, even when they are attending the same schools and the same classes as their neighbors. About one in 10 families has a child age 5-17 with a disability. Since 1976, the government has mandated their inclusion in the public schools. Yet they remain grossly underrepresented in after-school programs, according to Kids Included Together, a California support group. Barriers can include physical ones (such as stairs), communication barriers, lack of adequate transportation, and lack of confidence. Youth with disabilities often feel disconnected from society and sometimes give up trying to make friends.

It is often forgotten that apart from their disabilities, these youth have the same broad interests, energy levels and social needs as their peers. The social model of disability holds that the spectrum of ability levels changes for everyone in society from infancy to old age, and that in various stages of life we all need help getting around. In this view, disability is a social construct, and barriers to access for people with disabilities are created for them by society. Thus, society should solve the problems that create the barriers to participation.

Laws in the US encourage inclusion but does not fund the effort to a great degree that some countries do. The Americans with Disabilities act requires programs to make reasonable modifications for people with disabilities, unless the modification presents an undue burden for the organization or fundamentally changes the nature of the program. In some cases, the burden may not be as heavy as some might think.

The description “special needs” is very broad and can include physical or mental impairments ranging from mild to severe. For program directors who want to mitigate these barriers, mental disabilities such as autism, mental illness and intellectual impairments present quite different challenges to physical disabilities such as paraplegia or blindness. In rural areas or very local groups, it may be easy to identify youth in the area who might join if these barriers were removed, and to begin to tackle them. In bigger cities, it may be harder to choose which barriers to address first.

The University of Minnesota’s Institute on Community Integration advises schools and organizations on integrating people of all ages with a wide range of disabilities. Each quarterly issue of its Impact magazine is themed around an aspect of inclusion, such as “recreation and inclusion” or ‘success in school and beyond for students with autism spectrum disorder.”

An Impact article on “Community Recreation Programming to Facilitate Social Inclusion” offers a few “rules of thumb” when planning activities that welcome people with disabilities.

Eliminate barriers, whether physical or otherwise. If the disabilities are mobility-related, accessible entrances and restrooms are important.

The ability to communicate with deaf participants requires interpreters, who may be found in the community. Working with ADHD youth may require staff training as well.

Staff should also be trained to have no attitudinal barriers, such as being willing to adapt sports and games rules. For example, allowing two bounces in a tennis clinic makes little difference to others, and can allow participation by newcomers who have some mobility limitations.

Systemic barriers, such as qualification rules for participation, can also be changed to make programs more inclusive.

Locating program sites near public transit, or helping to arrange carpooling, encourages attendance.

Since 2004, the law has required that assistive technology be provided when necessary to students who receive special education services. For example, many books are available on tape for students with dyslexia. There is playground equipment manufactured for children with activity limitations, such as beeping balls and foam frisbees. Braille music translators help youth with reading text and music. All of these devices can also be used outside of the classroom to enhance a wide range of afterschool activities, and may be available already through the school district.