City of Coquitlam Committed to Inclusion in their Recreation Offerings

The City of Coquitlam has invested effort to make their spaces and offering more inclusive. In May, they highlighted this initiative –

Coquitlam is increasing efforts to help people of all abilities benefit from recreation access through a new inclusive adult drop-in sports program.

The new Accessible and Inclusive Drop-In Sports program is just one of several programs helping to broaden access to the City’s recreation offerings. Adults of all abilities will be able to enjoy individual play with a variety of sports equipment, including basketball, soccer and floor hockey. While these inclusive programs have been in place for a number of years, the pandemic has made inclusive programming even more important given the link between activity and health, both mental and physical.

Recreation for People of all Abilities

The City encourages children and adults of all abilities to participate in its recreation programs, and provides supports such as:

• Recreation support plans – Providing extra support to assist those registered for recreation programs, including help with instructions, physical literacy skills, modified games and sports, encouragement and more.
• Accessible and Inclusive Drop-in Sports – For ages 18 and up, this program runs Tuesdays and Thursdays at Poirier Sport and Leisure Complex until May 27. To register, visit www.coquitlam.ca/registration and click Register for Programs. In the Drop In area, click Adult to see available dates and times.
• Social stories – Caregivers can download illustrated stories to assist children on the autism spectrum, or who experience anxiety, to prepare for a camp or program.
• Adapted fitness equipment in all City fitness centres – Equipment includes assisted dip/chin-up machines, Nustep inclusive recumbent trainers, upper body ergometer machines and a variety of aids for those with reduced hand function.
• Sensory-friendly swim – Registered drop-in swimming sessions without music or water features, for those with sensory issues or seeking a quieter swim. To register, visit www.coquitlam.ca/registration and click Register for Programs. In the Drop In area, click Swimming and open the Public Swim dropdown. Look for Sensory-Friendly in the drop-in name to see available locations, dates and times.
• Canucks Autism Network (CAN) skating programs – The City partners with CAN to offer adapted skating programs for children and youth with a CAN membership.

For more information, visit https://www.coquitlam.ca/CivicAlerts.aspx?AID=610.