Beyond Bowling

to mirror their society—but to a disadvantageous extreme. This article shows how to change this picture. According to research, some of the most common leisure activities for people with disabilities are watching television and listening to the radio (Hill, Rotegard, & Bruininks, 1984; Modell, Rider, & Menchetti, 1997). Many adults with disabilities do not participate in recreation activities (Sands & Kozleski, 1994) and are socially isolated from their communities (Kaye, 1997). According to Kaye, 64% of adults with disabilities indicate that they are not participating in the community as much as they would like. Some 58% (compared to 29% for people without disabilities) had not been to a movie in the past year, 76% (compared to 51% for people without disabilities) had not attended a live music performance, and 71% (compared to 43% for people without disabilities) had not attended a sporting event. Sands and Kozleski reported that 83% of people with disabilities had not participated in a community group in the past year and 80% had not gone to an athletic club in the past year. Despite federal and state mandates regarding access to community leisure, recreation, and sports programs (see box, “What Does the Law Say?”), people with disabilities are still not taking advantage of these opportunities. Perhaps adults with disabilities went through their physical education experiences without the benefit of transition legislation and implementation and have not developed appropriate skills and attitudes toward community-based physical activity and recreation/leisure. But students making their way through our schools today have greatly increased opportunities—and we must ensure that they take advantage of these opportunities.