Activities for Adults with Disabilities

Exercises, sports, fun outdoor games, art and music - these are known to help in the overall development of an individual. That's why, right from childhood itself, great emphasis is laid on these, besides academics.

Participating in such activities builds self-confidence of a person, gives him a sense of accomplishment and keeps up his mood as well. Each and every person, including the ones who are differently abled, can thus benefit from participating in such activities.

When planning activities for adults with disabilities, there are some things that should be kept in mind, such as their capability, skills, their likes and dislikes and the levels of socialization they are comfortable with, as these can greatly affect their participation and performance in the planned events.

The activities should be such that they promote socialization, improve the health as well as provide an opportunity to the participants to have fun.

Painting, sketching, and drawing these can be therapeutic for the people with disabilities as art is one creative medium which is perfect to vent out one's emotions. People with disabilities, who sometimes might not be comfortable sharing their inner feelings with others, can express themselves very well through art.

Certain craft activities such as, jewelry making, scrap-booking, fan making, etc, can serve the same purpose too and hence should be taken up.

Bike riding is one activity in which most of the persons with disabilities can participate. Reason being that modern technology has made it possible for bike manufacturers to come up with such designs, which cater to people with all kinds of physical disabilities such as balancing problems, mobility problems, coordination problems, etc.

Being in the company of nature can relax anybody. Adults with disabilities can engage in a variety of activities planned around nature, such as nature walks, fishing, boating, scavenger hunts, campfires, to name a few. Such activities give an opportunity to explore nature.

As most of these activities are carried out in a group, the participants will get an opportunity to mix with one another and make friends as well. Socializing can be a wonderful experience for adults with disabilities as they can share their feelings, thoughts and experiences with people who are in the same situation.

People who cannot undertake activities which involve usage of feet and legs for a long period, can always go in for horse riding.

This is one of the most exciting and challenging of all outdoor activities for adults with disabilities. When differently abled persons ride horses, the whole experience can be immensely liberating for them, adding on to their self-confidence, not to mention how enjoyable it can be!

Exercising keeps a person mentally and physically alert and healthy. Exercising everyday is a stress buster too, which uplifts the mood of a person considerably. Plus, if a variety of activities are planned in the exercising session, such as aerobics, dance, swimming, etc, it can be quite fun too.

When undertaking exercises with people with physical disabilities, there should always be some facilitators present who can assist the people who are unable to perform certain kinds of exercises.

Music can be very stimulating for the senses. A music session can prove to be both energizing and relaxing for a person with disabilities. Singing along with the songs, clapping while the song is playing, playing a musical instrument, there are numerous ways in which music can be practiced by a person with disabilities.

There are numerous interesting indoor games which can be planned as well. Solving puzzles, playing passing the parcel with a twist wherein everyone tells the group some unknown things about himself, scrabble, making collages from newspaper/magazine cuttings, these are some fun indoor games that can be considered.

The activities mentioned above provide an opportunity to people with disabilities to experience adventure and achievement, just like normal people. They help a great deal in improving the quality of life of differently abled people and thus, should be undertaken on a regular basis.