The Impact of the "The Power of Camp Inclusion" Programme on Campers' Attitudes towards Inclusion in a Recreational Environment

Abstract

The modern disability strategy emphasises the creation of an inclusive society in which all people are respected and enjoy equal opportunities with everyone. An inclusive disability culture is seen as a deep system of shared values, attitudes, beliefs and perceptions that guide the behaviour, decisions and actions of the members of an organisation. Summer camps are a democratic environment where children and young people, with and without disabilities, can experience, through their participation in physical, cultural and other activities, equal social interaction with respect for human rights, offering opportunities to effectively address all forms of discrimination. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the impact of the educational program "The Power of Camp Inclusion" on the attitudes of participating campers without disabilities towards the inclusion of campers with disabilities. 122 elementary, middle and high school campers 7 to 16 years old (mean age 12.26 years) participated in the survey. In order to assess attitudes, the Children's Attitudes toward Effectiveness Questionnaire in Physical Education was used. The intervention program lasted 10 days and took place at a private summer camp. The results showed that a significant increase in the participants' positive attitudes after the implementation of the program. The mean response increased from 35.98 (standard deviation 3.83) to 39.41 (standard deviation 3.17), with a statistically significant difference (t(121) = -10.05, p < 0.001). This indicates that the Power of Camp Inclusion program had a positive effect on improving the perceptions of participants without disabilities towards their peers with disabilities. This reinforces the effectiveness of educational intervention programs in recreational settings. These findings underline the importance of implementing similar programmes to promote social inclusion and foster positive attitudes towards disability, holistically strengthening the field of educational and social policy for people with disabilities in Greece.