Facilitation Technique Category: Therapeutic Use of Sailing

Activity Title: Boarding and Sailing Skills

Source: Dattilo, J. (2000). Facilitation techniques in therapeutic recreation. Venture
Publishing Inc.
Equipment: Sailboat, as long with sailboat gear, and a docking area
Activity Description: Sailing is a practice that has been along for a very long time, and
in the past was solely used to travel across large bodies of water to get from place to
place. Nowadays though, Sailing is a great facilitation technique on so many different
levels. Not only is it environment friendly because, all you use is the sail and wind as
fuel, it is also a stimulating and challenging activity, and its inclusion level is high on the
scale as well. Sailing is stimulating on a mental, physical, and emotional level because
the client is able to experience the outdoors, while being very hands on with the boat
(while being assisted with a skipper or captain), and it also entails a mental component
when having to use navigation and weather skills. The physical aspect of sailing requires
strength and endurance, due to a lot of the shifting of sails, and having to tug and pull on
multiple ropes. This helps to increase cardiovascular movement throughout the body,
which is good for health, and it also helps the client not think of the activity so much as
an exercise, and more of it being just a leisure activity.
Leadership Considerations: For this activity a CTRS will be present, who will ensure
things such as client safety, proper boat precautions are carried out, as well as
communicating regulating with everyone on the ship in order to have a smooth ride
across the water. In addition it is recommended that the CTRS also know CPR as well as
have a decent swimming background, for in case of emergencies he/she can help
resuscitate or carry the client back to shore.
Adaptations: Participants with Visual Impairments: Visual Impairments is an
umbrella term for a variety of different visual disabilities but the more severe case would
be considered blindness. Blindness is classified have having severe to 100% vision loss.
Fortunately however, in most cases when someone loses one sense, the others
compensate by increasing their acuities. And when it comes to sailing, the client can still
feel the wind across their bodies (which can help them to navigate whether they wish to
go, with or against the wind), as well as pull on the multiples ropes and levees to steer the
boat (with the assistance of a CTRS or a skipper), (Chawla, 1994).
Participants with Spinal Cord Injury: As explained before, SCI or Spinal Cord Injuries
can either be quadriplegic (where all 4 limbs are affected) or paraplegic (loss of sense
below the waist/lower limbs). Depending on the size of the ship will determine how
clients with wheelchairs can access the boat, with bigger ships actually being able to hold
the actual wheelchair. But for smaller boats, the client can actually sit normally with the
assistance/guidance of the CTRS by their side, or the ship an also be made to
accommodate certain SCI clients if necessary as well. (Taylor & McGruder, 1996).

Adaptations References
- Chawla, J. C. (1994). ABC of sports medicine. Sport for people with disability. BMJ:
British Medical Journal, 308(6942), 1500
- Dattilo, J. (2000). Facilitation techniques in therapeutic recreation. Venture Publishing
Inc
- Taylor, L. P. S., & McGruder, J. E. (1996). The meaning of sea kayaking for persons
with spinal cord injuries. American Journal of Occupational Therapy,50(1), 39-46.