A cross-disciplinary perspective on the issues, problems, and methods of Social Impact Assessment (SIA). The analytic approach and theoretical framework provided applied to the assessment of very diverse events--changes in the natural environment, local economy, or dominant technology. SIA is required of most U.S. and Canadian federal and state sponsored projects that come under the National Environmental Protection Act, to include tourism, park and recreation development, highways, reservoirs, timber production, hazardous waste disposal, as well as policy issues. SIA is also required for all projects funded by international donor agencies such as USIA, the World Bank, and private international development agencies.

An overview of historical and philosophical perspectives of the play, recreation, therapeutic recreation, and park and natural resource conservation movements. Students examine recreation leisure and recreation resources in contemporary society, particularly in the context of the development of social capital. Includes leisure values and ideals, the emergence and evolution of "free time" diversity, and public policy implications.

This course takes a strengths?based approach to examining adaptive sports and recreation for recreational therapists and related professions, with a focus on best practices and risk management in community?based settings. This is an experiential learning course, whereby students will learn how to design, plan, and facilitate a variety of adaptive sports for people with disabilities. Students will learn and apply processes for assessing, selecting, and fitting adaptive sports and recreation equipment for individuals with disabilities.

Topics including an overview of the nature of law and U.S. legal systems; the law of torts, contracts, civil liberties and rights; risk management and legal research are addressed in the context of recreation services and resources. Public policy and professional advocacy implications are examined as related to legislative and decisional systems.